Waypoint

waypoint

Let’s remember, first, that don’t work at all like older financial systems. While the latter ones have companies, organizations, and governments in full control of every transaction, decentralized coins (if built right) give up that control to their community, in the form of a global computer network. Each computer or piece of hardware running the right software and connected to its peers is considered a node of that specific network. cryptocurrencies To ensure that everyone agrees about which transactions are legitimate and which ones aren’t, nodes rely on several consensus mechanisms. These are algorithms designed to ensure that all nodes agree on the current state of the whole network and its transactions by rewarding good behavior and punishing attack attempts. Now, it’s worth noting that distributed ledgers operate as an interconnected system of nodes, each one storing a copy of all valid transactions. So, we can say that a cryptocurrency system is essentially a large network of interconnected computers (nodes) where each one of them has a copy of a digital ledger containing all transactions ever made in that system. These nodes constantly communicate with each other to ensure that every transaction is valid and recorded correctly without the need for a central authority overseeing the process. However, there are different types of nodes, each one performing different functions, depending on the network and the user. Types of Crypto Nodes Not all cryptocurrency networks have the same internal workings or types of nodes, but we can say that they share some common traits. In this vein, there are mainly of crypto nodes: full and light. At the same time, full and light nodes could perform different kinds of tasks. two types they maintain a complete copy of the ledger and validate every transaction by connecting with others in real time, ensuring the network's security and integrity. They store the entire history of transactions, making them more robust but requiring significant storage space and computation. Full nodes are crucial for decentralization, as they contribute to the network's consensus mechanism by independently verifying transactions without relying on third parties. Full Nodes: also known as SPV (Simplified Payment Verification) nodes, they don't store the entire chain but instead rely on full nodes to verify transactions. They only download the information they need to operate, such as transactions involving their accounts. As its name suggests, they're lightweight and require less storage and computational resources, making them suitable for mobile and low-powered devices. However, they sacrifice some level of security and decentralization since they rely, at least partially, on trusted full nodes to verify transactions accurately. Light Nodes: Full nodes are commonly used by major users, infrastructure providers, miners, developers, "validators," and enthusiasts who want to contribute to the network's operation and verify transactions without trusting a centralized authority. On the other hand, light nodes are aimed at non-technical crypto users. They’re ever-present in cryptocurrency wallets and applications where resource efficiency and speed are prioritized over complete decentralization. Running a Crypto Node Well, maybe you’re already running a crypto node if you’re using a crypto wallet app. That one is equivalent to a light node, and it’s the easier option to pick. They work to check balances, send and receive transactions, and a few more things, depending on the network and the wallet app. However, you’ll need to run a full node if you want complete independence, complete confidence in the integrity of all transactions, quick access to all data on the ledger, or access to specific data or functions that only full nodes can provide. The requisites to run a full crypto node vary widely according to the selected network, This, for instance, implies over 557 GB , around in Ethereum, and 103 GB in Obyte.  So, you’ll need enough local storage, energy, and computer power to maintain a full node. but they’re basically a piece of software to install and keep running most of the time, along with a heavy copy of the selected chain in full, which means, all transactions ever made. in Bitcoin 990 GB In exchange, they can also work as their own wallet with increased security and decentralization, open the doors for participation in consensus mechanisms (and the rewards that may come with it), and enable access to some advanced features, if available. To sum it up, running a full crypto node involves setting up and maintaining a computer or server that connects to the network, stores a copy of the ledger, and participates in validating transactions and reaching consensus. This typically requires installing specialized software provided by the cryptocurrency's developers, configuring network settings, and ensuring the node has sufficient storage space and computational resources. Once the node is operational, it continuously communicates with other nodes in the same system, relaying transactions, verifying their validity, and contributing to the decentralized consensus mechanism, thereby helping to secure the network and maintain its integrity. Nodes in Obyte also has full and light nodes organized in a Directed Acyclic Graph (DAG) ledger structure. To reach consensus among nodes, Obyte has avoided miners or “validators,” who are powerful players in blockchains, and it has (OPs) instead. They’re reputable users that run full nodes and only post transactions regularly that serve as waypoints or guides to order the rest. They receive token rewards for it but lack the power to block or censor individual transactions, even if they all collude. Obyte Order Providers As for nodes specifically, a full node encompasses several essential functionalities. The first one offers users complete control over their assets with features like transaction management, wallet settings, and direct interaction with the ledger. is designed to store the entire database and forward new storage units to peers, playing a pivotal role in maintaining the network's connectivity. Finally, is a relay that also serves as an intermediary for encrypted messages. Among other things, it could work as a full wallet, a hub, a relay, or an OP. A relay a hub These components serve distinct but complementary roles within the Obyte ecosystem, with full wallets catering to user asset management, hubs facilitating secure communication among network participants, OPs in charge of ordering the DAG, and relays ensuring the efficient dissemination of ledger data across the network. For their part, light nodes offer several possibilities as well. They include a available for desktop and mobile, and a headless Obyte wallet for developers. In one way or another, anyone can participate freely in the Obyte network. Detailed instructions to install and run any type of node are available in and . lightweight wallet our documentation official website Featured Vector Image by storyset / Freepik

Crypto Nodes Explained: Uses, Setup, and Why You Need One

ক্রিপ্টো নোড ব্যাখ্যা করা হয়েছে: ব্যবহার, সেটআপ এবং কেন আপনার প্রয়োজন

Krypto-Knoten erklärt: Verwendung, Einrichtung und warum Sie einen brauchen

Explicación de los nodos criptográficos: usos, configuración y por qué necesita uno

Explication des nœuds cryptographiques : utilisations, configuration et pourquoi vous en avez besoin

क्रिप्टो नोड्स की व्याख्या: उपयोग, सेटअप, और आपको इसकी आवश्यकता क्यों है

暗号ノードの説明: 用途、設定、そしてなぜ必要なのか

암호화 노드 설명: 용도, 설정 및 필요한 이유

Nós criptográficos explicados: usos, configuração e por que você precisa de um

Объяснение криптоузлов: использование, настройка и зачем они вам нужны

Kripto Düğümlerinin Açıklaması: Kullanımları, Kurulumu ve Neden Birine İhtiyacınız Var?

Giải thích về nút tiền điện tử: Cách sử dụng, cách thiết lập và lý do tại sao bạn cần một nút

加密节点解释：用途、设置以及为何需要它

Not every cypherpunk is now working in digital assets, but that’s not the case for Adam Back. He’s a British cryptographer and known cypherpunk, who was born in London, England, in July 1970. He began his journey into computing by teaching himself Basic —the most popular programming language in the 70s and 80s. His academic journey led him to pursue advanced studies in computer science, culminating in a PhD in distributed systems from the University of Exeter. During his doctoral research, Back delved into encryption, electronic cash, and remailers, demonstrating a keen interest in cryptography and its applications. After completing , Back embarked on a career as a consultant, working with both startups and established companies. His work primarily revolved around applied cryptography, where he wrote cryptographic libraries, designed cryptographic protocols, and even analyzed and broke existing cryptographic systems. his education . He famously created a "Munitions" T-shirt adorned with cryptographic code, challenging the restrictive US regulations on civil cryptography. This activism reflects his commitment to defending privacy rights in the digital age, like all cypherpunks. Furthermore, Back is known for his advocacy and activism in promoting privacy and cryptography Hashcash & PoW “Hashcash,” a Proof-of-Work (PoW) system created by Back in 1997, is mentioned in the Bitcoin whitepaper, and it’s considered the precursor of cryptocurrency mining. Let’s remember that PoW is an algorithm or mathematical tool that, when applied, ensures computational effort and energy to carry on a specific task. In this case, PoW was used to create a defense against email spam. This puzzle entails repeatedly hashing a string until it produces a hash with specific characteristics, such as a certain number of leading zeros. This process demands computational resources, deterring spammers who seek to send large volumes of emails inexpensively. By using Hashcash, senders had to solve a computational puzzle, generating a unique identifier for each email. The computational effort ( ) required to generate a Hashcash stamp is typically insignificant for regular email users, as it only involves a few seconds of processing time on a standard desktop computer. However, for spammers who aim to send large volumes of emails, the cumulative computational burden becomes prohibitive, as they would need to expend significant resources to generate Hashcash stamps for each message. Therefore, the cost of computation acts as a deterrent for spammers only. PoW Bitcoin's PoW algorithm requires miners to solve cryptographic puzzles with their own resources in order to create blocks and secure the network. “ ” by Adam Back is the sixth reference in the Bitcoin whitepaper. This mechanism inspired Satoshi Nakamoto, who adapted it for Bitcoin mining. Hashcash - A Denial of Service Counter-Measure Blockstream and Bitcoin Despite being a pioneer of “mining,” participating in the same cypherpunk mailing list in which Bitcoin was born, and also being one of the first people to communicate with Nakamoto online, Back didn’t show real interest in Bitcoin . A year later, he was co-founding Blockstream, a Bitcoin development company and an important for Bitcoin Core —the main Bitcoin implementation so far. In late 2016, he was appointed as the CEO of Blockstream. until 2013 source of funds https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CG_e3ZCPW5Y One of its core focuses is the provision of infrastructure solutions to enable the seamless operation of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. This company specializes in various products and services aimed at advancing the functionality, security, and scalability of the Bitcoin network. A key aspect of Blockstream's offerings is its Liquid Network, a federated sidechain designed to facilitate faster and more confidential transactions for Bitcoin and other digital assets. The Liquid Network enhances Bitcoin's functionality by enabling rapid transfers between exchanges and institutions. Additionally, provides tools and services to support the development of decentralized applications (dApps) on the Bitcoin blockchain. It also offers its own hardware wallet (Jade), a Bitcoin mining colocation service, and a whole satellite network to make offline Bitcoin transactions. Blockstream Beyond Mining Adam Back is still working on Bitcoin and mining, but there’s another step to decentralization and protecting privacy rights. While Bitcoin represents a significant advancement in decentralization compared to traditional fiat currencies, newer crypto ecosystems like Directed Acyclic Graph (DAG) networks, exemplified by projects like , Obyte offer a higher level of decentralization and privacy protection. DAG systems eliminate the need for miners and intermediaries entirely, employing a block-free structure where transactions are linked to their predecessors and successors by the users who created them. This design, along with other features, helps to prevent double-spending and ensures transaction immutability without the reliance on centralized “validators”. Unlike PoW blockchains where miners may exert influence over transaction sequencing, and unlike PoS blockchains where their block producers can do the same, DAG networks establish transaction order with the help of "Order Providers". These Order Providers regularly post transactions that serve as waypoints for transaction ordering but lack the authority to reject or manipulate transactions. Furthermore, DAG systems prevent selective censorship by linking all transactions, making it impractical for any entity to censor one transaction without affecting others. The resilience of DAG networks against censorship and manipulation lies in their decentralized and open nature. This is demonstrated on a daily basis by the fact that there are no powerful centers of power and no middlemen. of financial decentralization and online freedom is here. The next level Read more from series: Cypherpunks Write Code Tim May & Crypto-anarchism Wei Dai & B-money Nick Szabo & Smart Contracts Featured Vector Image by Garry Killian / Freepik Adam Back Photograph by Blockstream

Cypherpunks Write Code: Adam Back and Hashcash

সাইফারপাঙ্কস কোড লিখুন: অ্যাডাম ব্যাক এবং হ্যাশক্যাশ

Cypherpunks schreiben Code: Adam Back und Hashcash

Código de escritura de Cypherpunks: Adam Back y Hashcash

Cypherpunks écrivent du code : Adam Back et Hashcash

साइफरपंक्स कोड लिखें: एडम बैक और हैशकैश

サイファーパンクがコードを書く: アダム・バックとハッシュキャッシュ

Cypherpunks 작성 코드: Adam Back 및 Hashcash

Cypherpunks escrevem código: Adam Back e Hashcash

Шифропанки пишут код: Адам Бэк и Hashcash

Şifrepunklar Kod Yazıyor: Adam Back ve Hashcash

Cypherpunks viết mã: Adam Back và Hashcash

密码朋克编写代码：Adam Back 和 Hashcash

Do you know why April 5 is like a funny date in the crypto world? Because it’s the birthday of Satoshi Nakamoto, the Bitcoin creator. And it’s also the birthday of Nick Szabo, the creator of smart contracts and the coin BitGold, a precursor of Bitcoin. A lot of people think this isn’t just a coincidence, not to mention the same initials (SN), and Szabo could be Nakamoto himself. He’s denied it repeatedly, though. He also has a Juris Doctor (law) degree from George Washington University, and an honorary professorship at the Universidad Francisco Marroquín from Guatemala. He can boast about an impressive publication history about computer science, laws, cryptography, and other topics on and , and that’s it. Nick Szabo was born in 1964 in the United States and got a computer science degree from the University of Washington in 1989. his personal blog other media We basically know nothing about his private life, just like we don’t know a lot about many other cypherpunks. Of course, Szabo is , as he was on the same mailing list visited by Satoshi and other important figures. Only bits and pieces of his personal affairs have dropped down to us. also a cypherpunk According to a brief , he’s of Hungarian parents. His libertarian mindset partly comes from his dad, who fought against the Soviet Union in the Hungarian Revolution of 1956. From , we know that he worked for a while with DigiCash, a company founded in 1989 by David Chaum (precursor of cypherpunks). They tried to make a new type of centralized virtual currency, called eCash. Probably, that inspired him to make his own version of digital currency. interview with NYT his blog Smart Contracts They aimed to simplify transactions or legal contracts between people online, including payment terms, and minimize the need for human middlemen. The code would be the only trusted third party, allowing lower fees in arbitration, fraud risk management, enforcement, and other transaction costs. In 1994, Szabo first a smart contract as “a computerized transaction protocol that executes the terms of a contract.” defined Szabo considered the digital cash protocols of the time and POS terminals as rudimentary smart contracts. More about the concept and its potential use cases would be published by Szabo in the following years, laying the foundation for the platforms we know today. As the years passed, smart contracts expanded beyond digital cash, showcasing their potential to revolutionize commercial transactions. from decentralized finance (DeFi) to global supply chains and smart property. Crypto ecosystems like Ethereum and facilitate the deployment of complex, self-executing agreements, transforming how we engage in online transactions. Fast forward to the present, and we witness the integration of smart contracts in numerous industries, Obyte Obyte, indeed, went a step beyond by releasing . They’re also self-executing smart contracts capable of locking funds until predetermined conditions are met. But there’s an important addition: an independent arbiter from the . They’re (human) professionals registered in the platform with their real names and available to solve certain types of disputes in exchange for a fee. contracts with arbitration ArbStore BitGold Besides the innovation of smart contracts, The idea around 1998, but he didn’t fully describe it . If we read the proposal, we’ll find some uncanny similarities with Bitcoin and its . Szabo also designed a theoretical decentralized virtual currency, called BitGold. was born until 2005 raison d'être “The problem, in a nutshell, is that our money currently depends on trust in a third party for its value (...) It would be very nice if there were a protocol whereby unforgeably costly bits could be created online with minimal dependence on trusted third parties, and then securely stored, transferred, and assayed with similar minimal trust. BitGold. My proposal for bit gold is based on computing a string of bits from a string of challenge bits, using functions called variously "client puzzle function," "proof of work function," or "secure benchmark function." The resulting string of bits is the proof of work.” securely timestamped and distributed among several servers. He even mentions a “bit gold miner” earning substantial profits from it. However, this idea was never implemented. He also describes how every transaction would be registered in a “chain of digital signatures” Interestingly enough, Szabo for someone to help him code BitGold into reality in 2008, just before Bitcoin appeared. Nobody answered publicly, but it’s widely believed that Nakamoto's system was inspired by this precursor, even if it doesn’t appear referenced in the whitepaper. asked A “centralized cult” BitGold wasn’t exactly decentralized, or at least not fully decentralized. The design included a Proof-of-Work (PoW) system, just like Bitcoin, which implies the involvement of miners —a type of middlemen. Nevertheless, it was an important step into a more decentralized future, an initial solution to minimize the dependency on trusted third parties like governments and banks. Szabo likely knows this, because he’s been very involved in the cryptocurrency world. He’s a usual attendant in crypto events and podcasts, and has been working with at least one more crypto company over the years (Vaurum), as it was mentioned by NYT. He also founded , and has maintained the same secrecy about himself. his own crypto startup https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXCOfTteQAo&embedable=true Years ago, he with Ethereum, a prominent smart contract network. They even named “Szabo” one of their coin units. Things have changed more recently, though. Unfortunately, Ethereum has evolved to allow and control, as it’s been proven on several occasions. Not to mention items like the (EPR), which allowed to change and control a supposedly immutable network. It was never approved, but Szabo criticized it heavily while it was being discussed. For these and similar reasons, seemed quite pleased centralized censorship Ethereum Recovery Proposal Szabo now considers Ethereum as a “centralized cult,” as he mentioned on Twitter (X) in 2019. https://twitter.com/NickSzabo4/status/1183931593800306689?embedable=true The pursuit for real decentralization continues. In this vein, we can say that Obyte is an alternative without middlemen, and, therefore, without censorship and external control. We don’t have miners or “validators,” but a (DAG) structure and Order Providers (OPs). They’re merely posting waypoints to order transactions but don’t have a lot of power over the network. Directed Acyclic Graph Once someone sends a transaction to the DAG, it is registered there forever, without interference of any kind. On this path, Obyte is still working to improve the of its systems and help to achieve the privacy-protected and free world dreamed of by pioneers like Nick Szabo and other cypherpunks. We’re already moving towards trust-minimization ideals, and we've minimized trust further than other projects. decentralization Featured Vector Image by Garry Killian / Freepik Nick Szabo Photograph by Swiss Re / YouTube

Cypherpunks Write Code: Nick Szabo, Smart Contracts, and BitGold

সাইফারপাঙ্কস কোড লিখুন: নিক সাজাবো, স্মার্ট কন্ট্রাক্টস এবং বিটগোল্ড

Cypherpunks schreiben Code: Nick Szabo, Smart Contracts und BitGold

Código de escritura de Cypherpunks: Nick Szabo, contratos inteligentes y BitGold

Cypherpunks écrivent du code : Nick Szabo, Smart Contracts et BitGold

साइफरपंक्स कोड लिखें: निक स्जाबो, स्मार्ट कॉन्ट्रैक्ट्स और बिटगोल्ड

Cypherpunks がコードを書く: Nick Szabo、スマート コントラクト、および BitGold

Cypherpunks 작성 코드: Nick Szabo, 스마트 계약 및 BitGold

Cypherpunks escrevem código: Nick Szabo, Smart Contracts e BitGold

Шифропанки пишут код: Ник Сабо, смарт-контракты и BitGold

Şifrepunklar Kod Yazıyor: Nick Szabo, Akıllı Sözleşmeler ve BitGold

Cypherpunks viết mã: Nick Szabo, Hợp đồng thông minh và BitGold

密码朋克编写代码：Nick Szabo、智能合约和 BitGold

“If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants." This old metaphor, attributed to Bernard of Chartres, can describe the current situation of all inventions. We’re in this technology stage thanks to the advances made by our predecessors, and Obyte (all cryptocurrencies, indeed) is no different. Without computers, the Internet, specialized software, and cryptography, the whole crypto world wouldn’t be here. If we look more closely into the software and cryptography realms, numerous milestones had to be achieved before the appearance of decentralized money. Then, afterward, some others would come to make the Obyte ecosystem possible. The gives them credit at the end, but do you know who they are and what they really did? Let’s check a bit of history and interesting inventions. We’re in debt to experts from all parts of the world and their previous creations. Obyte whitepaper Satoshi Nakamoto Of course, this is the more obvious one. Bitcoin was the first cryptocurrency ever, and someone named Satoshi Nakamoto created it. We know little about him, though. He reportedly was born on April 5, 1975, he’s known as a brilliant programmer and a recognized —online activists behind decentralized tools. Beyond this, there are more questions than answers about his persona. Or their personas. We don’t even know if that’s his real name because he (or they?) chose the path of complete privacy. cypherpunk , on the other hand, is the first and most adopted cryptocurrency so far. This piece of software operates on a peer-to-peer (P2P) network, enabling direct transfers without intermediaries —besides the miners. Transactions are verified by network nodes through cryptography, and recorded in a public ledger called the blockchain. It’s not fully decentralized and has , but it’s the start of the cryptocurrency world. Bitcoin its own set of issues However, we don’t have miners or “validators”, as we don’t have a “blockchain” but a Directed Acyclic Graph (DAG) structure. This way, all transactions sent to the DAG are truly censorship-resistant and not dependable on third parties. We took a lot of the Bitcoin original system in Obyte, including the P2P transparent crypto-network and the goal to eliminate middlemen. Sergio Demian Lerner He describes himself this way: “In short, my name is Sergio Demian Lerner. I’m a Cryptofan, Independent Security Researcher, and Bitcoin specialist since 2011.” It could be an understatement, though. Lerner is an Argentinian programmer who has created and participated in a lot of cryptocurrency projects, and more importantly for us, he’s the original designer of DAG-like coins. He even mentions Byteball (now Obyte) in his . personal story He’s helped to fix over 8 vulnerabilities in Bitcoin and has been involved in projects like Copay (now BitPay), Bitshares, Counterparty, Ethereum, and Monero. Interestingly enough, the Obyte wallet UI is based on Copay. Lerner has collaborated in open-source crypto projects for years (and for free), but he’s not exactly a cypherpunk. Among others, he co-founded the blockchain auditing company CoinFabrik in 2014, and the Bitcoin-based sidechain ecosystem Rootstock (now RSK / IOV Labs) in 2015. Additionally, he’s a pioneer of atomic swaps, also mentioned in the Obyte whitepaper. considered As for the DAG, but create the chain themselves**,** with every transaction. We took this idea to create Obyte, and added Order Providers (OPs) as mere waypoints to order transactions, without them being powerful middlemen as miners or centralized companies. Lerner as “a cryptocurrency without blocks,” where every user would be a “miner” —in the sense that they wouldn’t need miners, described it Serguei Popov While Lerner first described DAGs to create cryptocurrencies, he never coded the project himself. However, other developers were interested in the idea and started to propose (and create) new ecosystems around it. Serguei Popov and the IOTA team were likely the first ones back in October 2015. Popov is a Russian-Brazilian mathematician in charge of the conceptual side of the IOTA crypto project. After receiving his Diploma and Ph.D. from the Department of Mathematics and Mechanics of Moscow State University in 1997, he left for Brazil to start an academic career as a professor. interested in cryptocurrencies by 2013, first in Bitcoin and later in the altcoin Nxt. By sharing his own calculations about that network on Bitcointalk, he got to meet the Nxt founder, Sergey Ivancheglo. He became Then, in , Sergey and David Sonstebo invited him to contribute to the theoretical side of IOTA —and that's how the was born, inspired by the previous work by Lerner. Users validate transactions by confirming two previous ones, promoting scalability and feeless microtransactions. However, unlike Obyte, their network is still controlled , and not by the users. late 2015 Tangle whitepaper IOTA is a cryptocurrency designed for the Internet of Things (IoT). It utilizes the Tangle, a DAG network, just like Obyte. by their foundation Tom Holden Some months before the release of Obyte (Byteball, back then), a Bitcointalk member known as Tom Holden proposed another DAG-like system to create an improved cryptocurrency. He named it Transaction Directed Acyclic Graph (TDAG). It utilizes a structured DAG that must form a bounded lattice, ensuring a unique root node and childless node. Each transaction references previous ones, like in every DAG. Besides, it offers incentives such as transaction fees and fee burning. We don’t know who Tom Holden really is, or what he does. However, is connected to the DAG-like ecosystems and probably his early proposal urged us to think about and fix some potential vulnerabilities that this type of system may bring. Tony Chryumov (Tonych), the Obyte founder, participated in that thread and pointed out a potential attack vector where an adversary could construct a shadow DAG, including double-spends, and spend more on fees in the shadow DAG than in the legitimate DAG. The attacker could then publish the shadow DAG, leading users to switch to it as it appears more profitable due to higher fees spent. Obyte solved this issue with the creation of witnesses (Order Providers). Stuart Haber and W. Scott Stornetta They also appear in the Bitcoin whitepaper as the proponents of Linked Timestamping, a cryptographic method that involves associating a timestamp with a piece of data or information, establishing a chronological order of events (or transactions). This process creates a chain or link of timestamps, where each timestamp is linked to the previous one, forming a secure and tamper-evident sequence registered in a difficult-to-alter and widely observed platform, such as a printed newspaper or a public ledger. Both Americans, Haber is a cryptographer and computer scientist, while Stornetta is a physicist —like was. They met while working for the communication company Bellcore (now Iconectiv), and co-authored the paper " ” in 1991. Currently, is an advisor member of the cryptocurrency Kadena and Yugen Partners, a private equity firm for crypto projects. Meanwhile, is a partner and Chief Scientist at the latter one. In other words, they are the creators of the first “blockchain,” so to speak. Tim May How to Time-Stamp a Digital Document Haber Stornetta https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWVoPBkPd6g&embedable=true The order in a DAG is different than in a blockchain, . They serve the same function as the newspaper in our first example: they’re well-known and trusted to post serially, which is equivalent to not publishing two versions of the same issue of the newspaper. Light clients in Obyte rely on witnesses to prove that a transaction exists. By default, light clients select Order Providers as their light client witnesses. but Obyte took the idea of publishing transactions in a widely observed system, such as a newspaper, and created the witnesses Bonus: 1984 Also mentioned in our whitepaper, " " by George Orwell, published in 1949, is a dystopian novel that explores a totalitarian society ruled by an oppressive government led by the Party and its enigmatic leader, Big Brother. Set in an alternative year, 1984, the story follows Winston Smith, a low-ranking member of the Party who becomes disillusioned with the oppressive regime. 1984 The novel delves into themes of censorship, surveillance, and the manipulation of truth, portraying a bleak future where individualism is suppressed, history is rewritten, and the concept of reality is distorted. This is a world where nobody would like to live, and sadly, it’s also not that far from what some modern countries have become, to varying degrees. , , , and of everyone’s money are now realities everywhere. That’s why activists are dedicated to creating freedom tools, and that is (or that should be) the raison d'être of cryptocurrencies. Obyte was created as a freedom tool as well, even more decentralized than its predecessors. We’re working hard to create a free world for everyone, everywhere. Ready to join us? Mass surveillance totalitarian regimes democratic censorship unjustified control like cypherpunks Featured Vector Image by storyset / Freepik

Obyte Precursors: Who Helped to Create Our Decentralized Ecosystem?

Obyte Precursors: কে আমাদের বিকেন্দ্রীভূত ইকোসিস্টেম তৈরি করতে সাহায্য করেছে?

Obyte-Vorläufer: Wer hat zur Schaffung unseres dezentralen Ökosystems beigetragen?

Precursores de Obyte: ¿Quién ayudó a crear nuestro ecosistema descentralizado?

Précurseurs d'Obyte : qui a aidé à créer notre écosystème décentralisé ?

ओबाइट प्रीकर्सर्स: हमारे विकेंद्रीकृत पारिस्थितिकी तंत्र को बनाने में किसने मदद की?

オバイトの先駆者: 私たちの分散型エコシステムの構築に貢献したのは誰ですか?

Obyte Precursors: 누가 우리의 분산형 생태계를 만드는 데 도움을 주었나요?

Precursores Obyte: Quem ajudou a criar nosso ecossistema descentralizado?

Предшественники Obyte: кто помог создать нашу децентрализованную экосистему?

Obyte Öncüleri: Merkezi Olmayan Ekosistemimizin Oluşturulmasına Kim Yardımcı Oldu?

Tiền thân của Obyte: Ai đã giúp tạo ra hệ sinh thái phi tập trung của chúng tôi?

Obyte 前身：谁帮助创建了我们的去中心化生态系统？

Authors: (1) Ruohan Zhang, Department of Computer Science, Stanford University, Institute for Human-Centered AI (HAI), Stanford University & Equally contributed; zharu@stanford.edu; (2) Sharon Lee, Department of Computer Science, Stanford University & Equally contributed; zharu@stanford.edu; (3) Minjune Hwang, Department of Computer Science, Stanford University & Equally contributed; zharu@stanford.edu; (4) Ayano Hiranaka, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University & Equally contributed; zharu@stanford.edu; (5) Chen Wang, Department of Computer Science, Stanford University; (6) Wensi Ai, Department of Computer Science, Stanford University; (7) Jin Jie Ryan Tan, Department of Computer Science, Stanford University; (8) Shreya Gupta, Department of Computer Science, Stanford University; (9) Yilun Hao, Department of Computer Science, Stanford University; (10) Ruohan Gao, Department of Computer Science, Stanford University; (11) Anthony Norcia, Department of Psychology, Stanford University (12) Li Fei-Fei, 1Department of Computer Science, Stanford University & Institute for Human-Centered AI (HAI), Stanford University; (13) Jiajun Wu, Department of Computer Science, Stanford University & Institute for Human-Centered AI (HAI), Stanford University. Table of Links Abstract & Introduction Brain-Robot Interface (BRI): Background The NOIR System Experiments Results Conclusion, Limitations, and Ethical Concerns Acknowledgments & References Appendix 1: Questions and Answers about NOIR Appendix 2: Comparison between Different Brain Recording Devices Appendix 3: System Setup Appendix 4: Task Definitions Appendix 5: Experimental Procedure Appendix 6: Decoding Algorithms Details Appendix 7: Robot Learning Algorithm Details 3 The NOIR System The challenges we try to tackle are: 1) How do we build a general-purpose BRI system that works for a variety of tasks? 2) How do we decode relevant communication signals from human brains? 3) How do we make robots more intelligent and adaptive for more efficient collaboration? An overview of our system is shown in Fig. 2. Humans act as planning agents to perceive, plan, and communicate behavioral goals to the robot, while robots use pre-defined primitive skills to achieve these goals. The overarching goal of building a general-purpose BRI system is achieved by synergistically integrating two designs together. First, we propose a novel modular brain decoding pipeline for human intentions, in which the human intended goal is decomposed into three components: what, how, and where (Sec. 3.1). Second, we equip the robots with a library of parameterized primitive skills to accomplish human-specified goals (Sec. 3.2). This design enables humans and robots to collaborate to accomplish a variety of challenging, long-horizon everyday tasks. At last, we show a key feature of NOIR to allow robots to act more efficiently and to be capable of adapting to individual users, we adopt few-shot imitation learning from humans (Sec. 3.3). 3.1 The brain: A modular decoding pipeline We hypothesize that the key to building a general-purpose EEG decoding system is modularization. Decoding complete behavioral goals (e.g., in the form of natural language) is only feasible with expensive devices like fMRI, and with many hours of training data for each individual [31]. As shown in Fig. 3, we decompose human intention into three components: (a) What object to manipulate; (b) How to interact with the object; (c) Where to interact. The decoding of specific user intents from EEG signals is challenging but can be done with steady-state visually evoked potential and motor imagery, as introduced in Sec. 2. For brevity, details of decoding algorithms are in Appendix 6. Upon showing the task set-up on a screen, we first infer the user’s intended object. We make objects on the screen flicker with different frequencies (Fig. 3a), which, when focused on by the user, evokes SSVEP [26]. By identifying which frequency is stronger in the EEG data, we may infer the frequency of the flickering visual stimulus, and hence the object that the user focuses on. We apply modern computer vision techniques to circumvent the problem of having to physically attach LED lights [27, 28]. Specifically, we use the foundation model OWL-ViT [32] to detect and track objects, which takes in an image and object descriptions and outputs object segmentation masks. By overlaying each mask of different flickering frequencies (6Hz, 7.5Hz, 8.57Hz, and 10Hz [33, 34]), and having the user focus on the desired object for 10 seconds, we are able to identify the attended object. Selecting objects with steady-state visually evoked potential (SSVEP). We use only the signals from the visual cortex (Appendix 6) and preprocess the data with a notch filter. We then use Canonical Correlation Analysis (CCA) for classification [35]. We create a Canonical Reference Signal (CRS), which is a set of sin and cos waves, for each of our frequencies and their harmonics. We then use CCA to calculate the frequency whose CRS has the highest correlation with the EEG signal, and identify the object that was made to flicker at that frequency. . The user then chooses a skill and its parameters. We frame this as a k-way (k ≤ 4) MI classification problem, where we aim to decode which of the k pre-decided actions the user was imagining. Unlike SSVEP, a small amount of calibration data (10-min) is required due to the distinct nature of each user’s MI signals. The four classes are: Left Hand, Right Hand, Legs, and Rest; the class names describe the body parts that users imagine using to execute some skills (e.g. pushing a pedal with feet). Upon being presented with the list of k skill options, we record a 5-second EEG signal, and use a classifier trained on the calibration data. The user then guides a cursor on the screen to the appropriate location for executing the skill. To move the cursor along the x axis, the user is prompted to imagine moving their Left hand for leftward cursor movement. We record another five seconds of data and utilize a 2-way classifier. This process is repeated for x, y, and z axes. Selecting skill and parameters with motor imagery (MI) For decoding, we use only EEG channels around the brain areas related to motor imagery (Appendix 6). The data is band-pass-filtered between 8Hz and 30Hz to include µ-band and β-band frequency ranges correlated with MI activity [36]. The classification algorithm is based on the common spatial pattern (CSP) [37–40] algorithm and quadratic discriminant analysis (QDA). Due to its simplicity, CSP+QDA is explainable and amenable to small training datasets. Contour maps of electrode contributions to the top few CSP-space principal components are shown in the middle row of Fig. 3. There are distinct concentrations around the right and left motor areas, as well as the visual cortex (which correlates with the Rest class). Safety is critical in BRI due to noisy decoding. We follow a common practice and collect electrical signals generated from facial muscle tension (Electromyography, or EMG). This signal appears when users frown or clench their jaws, indicating a negative response. This signal is strong with near-perfect decoding accuracy, and thus we use it to confirm or reject object, skill, or parameter selections. With a pre-determined threshold value obtained through the calibration stage, we can reliably detect muscle tension from 500-ms windows. Confirming or interrupting with muscle tension. 3.2 The robot: Parameterized primitive skills Our robots must be able to solve a diverse set of manipulation tasks under the guidance of humans, which can be achieved by equipping them with a set of parameterized primitive skills. The benefits of using these skills are that they can be combined and reused across tasks. Moreover, these skills are intuitive to humans. Since skill-augmented robots have shown promising results in solving longhorizon tasks, we follow recent works in robotics with parameterized skills [41–52], and augment the action space of our robots with a set of primitive skills and their parameters. Neither the human nor the agent requires knowledge of the underlying control mechanism for these skills, thus the skills can be implemented in any method as long as they are robust and adaptive to various tasks. We use two robots in our experiment: A Franka Emika Panda arm for tabletop manipulation tasks, and a PAL Tiago robot for mobile manipulation tasks (see Appendix for hardware details). Skills for the Franka robot use the operational space pose controller (OSC) [53] from the Deoxys API [54]. For example, Reaching skill trajectories are generated by numerical 3D trajectory interpolation conditioned on the current robot end-effector 6D pose and target pose. Then OSC controls the robot to reach the waypoints along the trajectory orderly. The Tiago robot’s navigation skill is implemented using the ROS MoveBase package, while all other skills are implemented using MoveIt motion planning framework [55]. A complete list of skills for both robots is in Appendix 3. Later, we will show that humans and robots can work together using these skills to solve all the tasks. 3.3 Leveraging robot learning for efficient BRI The modular decoding pipeline and the primitive skill library lay the foundation for NOIR. However, the efficiency of such a system can be further improved. During the collaboration, the robots should learn the user’s object, skill, and parameter selection preferences, hence in future trials, the robot can predict users’ intended goals and be more autonomous, hence reducing the effort required for decoding. Learning and generalization are required since the location, pose, arrangement, and instance of the objects could differ from trial to trial. Meanwhile, the learning algorithms should be sample-efficient since human data is expensive to collect. In NOIR, human effort can be reduced if the robot intelligently learns to propose appropriate object-skill selections for a given state in the task. Inspired by retrieval-based imitation learning [56–58], our proposed method learns a latent state representation from observed states. Given a new state observation, it finds the most similar state in the latent space and the corresponding action. Our method is shown in Fig. 4. During task execution, we record data points that consist of images and the object-skill pairs selected by the human. The images are first encoded by a pre-trained R3M model [59] to extract useful features for robot manipulation tasks, and are then passed through several trainable, fully-connected layers. These layers are trained using contrastive learning with a triplet loss[60] that encourages the images with the same object-skill label to be embedded closer in the latent space. The learned image embeddings and object-skill labels are stored in the memory. During test time, the model retrieves the nearest data point in the latent space and suggests the object-action pair associated with that data point to the human. Details of the algorithm can be found in Appendix 7.1. Retrieval-based few-shot object and skill selection. Parameter selection requires a lot of human effort as it needs precise cursor manipulation through MI. To reduce human effort, we propose a learning algorithm for predicting parameters given an object-skill pair as an initial point for cursor control. Assuming that the user has once successfully pinpointed the precise key point to pick a mug’s handle, does this parameter need to be specified again in the future? Recent advancement in foundation models such as DINOv2 [61] allows us to find corresponding semantic key points, eliminating the need for parameter re-specification. Compared to previous works, our algorithm is one-shot [62–66] and predicts specific 2D points instead of semantic segments [67, 68]. As shown in Fig. 4, given a training image (360 × 240) and parameter choice (x, y), we predict the semantically corresponding point in the test images, in which positions, orientations, instances of the target object, and contexts may vary. We utilize a pre-trained DINOv2 model to obtain semantic features [61]. We input both train and test images into the model and generate 768 patch tokens, each as a pixel-wise feature map of dimension 75 × 100. We then extract a 3 × 3 patch centered around the provided training parameter and search for a matching feature in the test image, using cosine similarity as the distance metric. Details of this algorithm can be found in Appendix 7.2. One-shot skill parameter learning. This paper is under CC 4.0 license. available on arxiv

The NOIR System: Building a General Purpose BRI System 

In this new series, we’re talking about remarkable cypherpunks who helped to create decentralized money and more privacy and online freedom tools for everyone. Let’s remember that the group named “ ” was formed by . As you may imagine, a lot of people in the crypto world belong there. cypherpunks computer science, cryptography experts, and Internet activists aiming to create new software to foster privacy and social change Wei Dai is, of course, one of them. Maybe his name is ringing a bell if you ever read the Bitcoin whitepaper. He’s one of the references at the end. We don’t know much about his personal life, because he’s a quite private person —like most cypherpunks, indeed. However, we do know about his career. Probably born , of Chinese origin but living in the USA, Dai went to the University of Washington. He graduated in computer science with a minor in mathematics. According to , his career began at TerraSciences, where he contributed to developing security solutions for the oil and gas industry. Later at Microsoft, he played a crucial role in optimizing encryption algorithms. in 1976 some sources Dai's VMAC algorithm, designed for 64-bit systems, demonstrated high-performance data verification. He also identified critical vulnerabilities in SSH2's Encryption Block Chaining and was part of the team that discovered the BEAST protocol vulnerability in SSL/TLS, posing a significant risk to Internet security. Dai's notable contributions include the widely-used open-source Crypto++ library, employed in projects like Microsoft Office Groove and LastPass. Besides, his work on b-money influenced the core concepts implemented in Bitcoin. This is a very similar system, published before the . Despite speculation, Dai denies being Satoshi Nakamoto, or even having some real influence in the cryptocurrency creation. Bitcoin whitepaper B-money Proposal is considered an important precursor of all cryptocurrencies, even though it was never released. “Fascinated”, in his own words, by Tim May’s with its purpose of making the government unnecessary and the threat of violence impotent, free of governmental intervention. B-money crypto-anarchism ideology Dai designed potentially unregulated money for the crypto-anarchist community to operate, He showed, indeed, two protocols. The first one, described as impractical, establishes a basis for the second, more feasible one. In both, an untraceable network is assumed, where participants are identified solely by digital pseudonyms. The first protocol relies on a synchronous and uninterrupted anonymous broadcast channel, with participants maintaining databases of money ownership tied to pseudonyms. It covers the creation and transfer of money, and enforcement of contracts, including arbitration mechanisms. . Transaction messages remain similar to the first protocol, but participants must verify that messages are received and processed by a randomly selected server subset. To prevent collusion, servers are required to deposit money for potential fines or rewards, periodically publishing and committing to money creation and ownership databases. The second protocol shifts the accountability of the money mint to a subset of participants called servers, connected through a Usenet-style broadcast channel B-Money and Bitcoin These two systems share many similarities. Both of them aim to establish unregulated digital currencies operating in a peer-to-peer (P2P) network without the need for a central authority. The use of Proof of Work (PoW) for the creation of new units of currency is considered as well. In both b-money and Bitcoin, participants can generate new coins by solving computational problems. This PoW process serves the dual purpose of securing the network and preventing abuse. Additionally, both systems employ cryptographic mechanisms to ensure secure and private transactions. . Transactions are signed and encrypted, contributing to the privacy and security of the overall system. B-money, like Bitcoin, uses digital pseudonyms (public keys) to identify participants, providing a level of anonymity The concept of a distributed ledger is another shared element. B-money and Bitcoin utilize a decentralized approach to maintain a ledger of transactions. In b-money, participants maintain separate databases, while Bitcoin realizes these databases as a blockchain—a public ledger that records all transactions across a network of computers. Overall, the conceptual foundations of b-money, particularly the use of PoW, cryptographic techniques, and decentralized ledgers, Even the “b” in the name may result in suspicion. But Dai himself any contribution or involvement. laid the groundwork for the subsequent development of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. denied “I didn't create Bitcoin but only described a similar idea more than a decade ago. And my understanding is that the creator of Bitcoin, who goes by the name Satoshi Nakamoto, didn't even read my article before reinventing the idea himself. He learned about it afterward and credited me in his paper. So my connection with the project is quite limited.” Not that decentralized B-money was only one of the important steps to what we have today, and to the real decentralization we’re still aiming to achieve in crypto. It wasn’t really decentralized, as you may have noticed: the “servers” (middlemen) were in control of the money. Something similar happens with Bitcoin, indeed. Miners, in charge of minting new coins, can cherry-pick or even censor transactions. If more than half of the big miners collude, they could take over the whole network. And they’re not even a lot of parties, that only two mining pools are currently in control of 54% of the network power (hashrate). considering , on the other hand, has solved this issue by completely eliminating the mining system. Instead, its Directed Acyclic Graph (DAG) structure is fully censorship-resistant. There are no powerful parties behind, and only (OPs) are required to order transactions. Their transactions serve as waypoints to order the rest, and nothing else. If someone sends a transaction to the DAG, it can’t be blocked or censored by any party. The total supply is also fixed, protecting against inflation. Obyte Order Providers Interestingly, as Wei Dai described enforcement of contracts and arbitration mechanisms, we also have contracts with arbitration as well as an arbiters store ( ) in Obyte. This is a new decentralized escrow payment solution, specifically designed for international trade. ArbStore Operating on the decentralized , , offering a decentralized escrow that safeguards funds until the conditions of the contract are met. With the added layer of protection from independent arbiters in case of disputes, the parties involved are assured a fair resolution process. Obyte crypto platform contracts with arbitration facilitate safe transactions using smart contracts (without users needing to code anything) and cryptocurrencies We’re in debt to our predecessors. Distinguished cypherpunks like Wei Dai and Satoshi Nakamoto laid the groundwork for the building of in the financial and online world. Let’s continue their mission! real decentralization Featured Vector Image by Garry Killian / Freepik

Cypherpunks Write Code: Wei Dai and B-money — or a Coin Before Bitcoin

সাইফারপাঙ্কস কোড লিখুন: ওয়েই দাই এবং বি-মানি — বা বিটকয়েনের আগে একটি মুদ্রা

Cypherpunks schreiben Code: Wei Dai und B-Geld – oder eine Münze vor Bitcoin

Los Cypherpunks escriben código: Wei Dai y B-money, o una moneda antes de Bitcoin

Cypherpunks écrivent du code : Wei Dai et B-money – ou une pièce avant Bitcoin

साइफरपंक्स कोड लिखें: वेई दाई और बी-मनी - या बिटकॉइन से पहले एक सिक्का

サイファーパンクがコードを書く: Wei Dai と B-money — またはビットコイン以前のコイン

Cypherpunks 작성 코드: Wei Dai 및 B-money — 또는 비트코인 이전의 동전

Cypherpunks escrevem código: Wei Dai e B-money – ou uma moeda antes do Bitcoin

Шифропанки пишут код: Вэй Дай и B-деньги — или монета до биткойна

Şifrepunklar Kod Yazıyor: Wei Dai ve B-money — veya Bitcoin'den Önce Bir Coin

Cypherpunks viết mã: Wei Dai và B-money - hoặc một loại tiền trước Bitcoin

密码朋克编写代码：Wei Dai 和 B-money——或者是比特币之前的代币

“Cypherpunks” are often defined as computer scientists and programmers, but not all of them are exactly that. Indeed, one of the founders of the first mailing list and subsequent ideologies was an American physicist: Timothy C. May. Besides, he also was first to describe crypto-anarchism, a set of beliefs pretty aligned with decentralization and the purpose of cryptocurrencies. In this new series “Cyphepunks write code”, we’re talking about remarkable cypherpunks who helped to create decentralized money and more online freedom tools for everyone. To learn more about the cypherpunks movement and its notable participants, you can check out another series by the same name by Jim Epstein, editor of the Reason Magazine. Now, let’s remember that the group named “cypherpunks” was formed by computer science, cryptography experts, and online rebels aiming to create new software to foster privacy and social change. As you may imagine, a lot of people in the crypto world belong there. Tim May was one of the founders of this movement. He was born in 1951 in Maryland but grew up between California, Virginia, and France. He earned a physics bachelor's degree in 1974 from the University of California. Initially joining Intel Corporation to explore solid-state physics, Tim became a Staff Engineer in the Memory Products Division, where he delved into reliability physics studies of Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (MOS) chips from 1974 to 1976. In 1977, he unveiled the impact of trace radioactive elements on Intel chips, pioneering research into alpha particle interference with memory storage nodes. He earned awards for it, but decided for an early retirement at 34, and mainly lived from his Intel stock options. He also became a leader and inspiration for Internet liberals, and sometimes a polemical and solitary figure, until his natural-caused death at 66, in December 2018.\ Crypto-anarchism + Cypherpunks Being a physicist and delving more into the hardware side of computers, May didn’t really write software code but created principles that would be followed by numerous programmers and cryptographers —including Satoshi Nakamoto. Those principles would birth many Internet freedom tools in the future (our present). That’s why we want to start the series with him: he didn’t write code, but inspired and guided others to do it. He believed that the crypto-code was the answer to protect our privacy and autonomy, and led the fight for it. Back in 1988, around three years after leaving Intel, May published the Crypto-Anarchism Manifesto. In it, he visualized a future in which anonymity and financial freedom would come for everyone thanks to digital cryptographic tools, and the government powers wouldn’t have control over online activities. “Computer technology is on the verge of providing the ability for individuals and groups to communicate and interact with each other in a totally anonymous manner (...) These developments will alter completely the nature of government regulation, the ability to tax and control economic interactions, the ability to keep information secret, and will even alter the nature of trust and reputation.” More talented people would join to support this future. The first Cypherpunk mailing list (to which Satoshi also belonged) started in 1992 by May, Eric Hughes, John Gilmore, and Judith Milhon. Their purpose was to support the creation of new software to protect privacy. As Hughes stated in his Cypherpunk Manifesto: “Cypherpunks write code. We know that someone has to write software to defend privacy, and (…) we're going to write it.” May didn’t write software code, but he did write the moral code of these activists. Besides his first Crypto-Anarchism Manifesto, he also published the Cyphernomicon (A cypherpunk’s FAQ), Crypto Anarchy and Virtual Communities, Libertaria in Cyberspace, a Crypto Glossary, and Cyberspace, Crypto Anarchy, and Pushing Limits. Yet Another PayPal As you can imagine, these ideas heavily influenced the current decentralized sector and privacy landscape. The number of subscribers to the cypherpunk mailing list (and, likely, to the movement) reached over 2,000 individuals by 1997, and the results are still seen today. Remarkable names and products that came from here include Julian Assange (WikiLeaks), Adam Back (Hashcash & Blockstream), Eric Blossom (GNU Radio Project), Phil Zimmerman (PGP Protocol), Bram Cohen (BitTorrent & Chia), Hal Finney (First Proof-of-Work), Nick Szabo (First Smart Contracts), Wei Dai (B-Money), Zooko Wilcox (Zcash), and, of course, Satoshi Nakamoto (Bitcoin). We’ll cover some of them in our future articles in this series. Tim May wasn’t fully happy with Bitcoin though. In an interview with CoinDesk a couple of months before his death, he commented how all the centralized services (KYC exchanges, bank-friendly coins, etc.) around Bitcoin and other cryptos would make Satoshi “barf.” Cryptocurrencies are meant to be completely decentralized, and not “Yet Another PayPal.” “There’s not much of interest to many of us if cryptocurrencies just become Yet Another PayPal, just another bank transfer system. What's exciting is the bypassing of gatekeepers, of exorbitant fee collectors, of middlemen who decide whether Wikileaks — to pick a timely example — can have donations reach it. And to allow people to send money abroad. Attempts to be "regulatory-friendly" will likely kill the main uses for cryptocurrencies, which are NOT just another form of PayPal or Visa.” Obyte as a fully decentralized crypto The Obyte cryptocurrency ecosystem distinguishes itself as a superior embodiment of decentralized ideals, aligning with Tim May's vision of bypassing gatekeepers and eliminating exorbitant fee collectors. Unlike many cryptocurrencies that risk becoming mere replicas of traditional financial systems, Obyte's design emphasizes simplicity, efficiency, and user empowerment. By utilizing a Directed Acyclic Graph (DAG) structure instead of a blockchain, Obyte enhances decentralization, security, and community ownership by replacing miners or “validators” with much less powerful Order Providers (OPs). The transactions of the OPs serve as waypoints to order the rest, and that’s it. They can’t approve, block, censor, or control other users’ transactions in any way. In contrast to attempts to be overly "regulatory-friendly" (e.g. by censoring Tornado Cash transactions) that risk stifling the true potential of cryptocurrencies, Obyte's focus on maintaining its decentralized ethos ensures that it remains a freedom-asserting, censorship-proof, and neutral space. The ecosystem's dedication to enabling secure, private, and low-cost transactions exemplifies a commitment to the ideals that cypherpunks envisioned, making Obyte a standout model in the realm of decentralized finance. Read more from Cypherpunks Write Code series: Wei Dai & B-money Nick Szabo & Smart Contracts Adam Back & Hashcash Eric Hughes & Remailer St Jude & Community Memory Hal Finney & RPOW John Gilmore and EFF Phil Zimmerman & PGP Featured Vector Image by Garry Killian / Freepik Tim May Photograph by Jim Epstein / Twitter “Cypherpunks” are often defined as computer scientists and programmers, but not all of them are exactly that. Indeed, one of the founders of the first mailing list and subsequent ideologies was an American physicist: Timothy C. May. Besides, he also was first to describe crypto-anarchism, a set of beliefs pretty aligned with decentralization and the purpose of cryptocurrencies. In this new series “Cyphepunks write code”, we’re talking about remarkable cypherpunks who helped to create decentralized money and more online freedom tools for everyone. To learn more about the cypherpunks movement and its notable participants, you can check out another series by the same name by Jim Epstein , editor of the Reason Magazine. In this new series “Cyphepunks write code”, we’re talking about remarkable cypherpunks who helped to create decentralized money and more online freedom tools for everyone. another series by the same name another series by the same name Jim Epstein Jim Epstein Now, let’s remember that the group named “cypherpunks” was formed by computer science, cryptography experts, and online rebels aiming to create new software to foster privacy and social change. As you may imagine, a lot of people in the crypto world belong there. Tim May was one of the founders of this movement. He was born in 1951 in Maryland but grew up between California, Virginia, and France. He earned a physics bachelor's degree in 1974 from the University of California. Initially joining Intel Corporation to explore solid-state physics, Tim became a Staff Engineer in the Memory Products Division, where he delved into reliability physics studies of Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (MOS) chips from 1974 to 1976. Tim May was one of the founders of this movement. He earned He earned In 1977, he unveiled the impact of trace radioactive elements on Intel chips, pioneering research into alpha particle interference with memory storage nodes. He earned awards for it, but decided for an early retirement at 34, and mainly lived from his Intel stock options. He also became a leader and inspiration for Internet liberals, and sometimes a polemical and solitary figure, until his natural-caused death at 66 , in December 2018.\ death at 66 death at 66 Crypto-anarchism + Cypherpunks Being a physicist and delving more into the hardware side of computers, May didn’t really write software code but created principles that would be followed by numerous programmers and cryptographers —including Satoshi Nakamoto. Those principles would birth many Internet freedom tools in the future (our present). That’s why we want to start the series with him: he didn’t write code, but inspired and guided others to do it. He believed that the crypto-code was the answer to protect our privacy and autonomy, and led the fight for it. He believed that the crypto-code was the answer to protect our privacy and autonomy, and led the fight for it. Back in 1988, around three years after leaving Intel, May published the Crypto-Anarchism Manifesto . In it, he visualized a future in which anonymity and financial freedom would come for everyone thanks to digital cryptographic tools, and the government powers wouldn’t have control over online activities. Crypto-Anarchism Manifesto Crypto-Anarchism Manifesto “Computer technology is on the verge of providing the ability for individuals and groups to communicate and interact with each other in a totally anonymous manner (...) These developments will alter completely the nature of government regulation, the ability to tax and control economic interactions, the ability to keep information secret, and will even alter the nature of trust and reputation.” “Computer technology is on the verge of providing the ability for individuals and groups to communicate and interact with each other in a totally anonymous manner (...) These developments will alter completely the nature of government regulation, the ability to tax and control economic interactions, the ability to keep information secret, and will even alter the nature of trust and reputation.” “Computer technology is on the verge of providing the ability for individuals and groups to communicate and interact with each other in a totally anonymous manner (...) These developments will alter completely the nature of government regulation, the ability to tax and control economic interactions, the ability to keep information secret, and will even alter the nature of trust and reputation.” More talented people would join to support this future. The first Cypherpunk mailing list (to which Satoshi also belonged) started in 1992 by May, Eric Hughes, John Gilmore, and Judith Milhon. Their purpose was to support the creation of new software to protect privacy. As Hughes stated in his Cypherpunk Manifesto: “Cypherpunks write code. We know that someone has to write software to defend privacy, and (…) we're going to write it.” The first Cypherpunk mailing list (to which Satoshi also belonged) started in 1992 by May, Eric Hughes, John Gilmore, and Judith Milhon. Cypherpunk mailing list Cypherpunk mailing list May didn’t write software code, but he did write the moral code of these activists. Besides his first Crypto-Anarchism Manifesto, he also published the Cyphernomicon (A cypherpunk’s FAQ), Crypto Anarchy and Virtual Communities, Libertaria in Cyberspace, a Crypto Glossary, and Cyberspace, Crypto Anarchy, and Pushing Limits. published published Yet Another PayPal As you can imagine, these ideas heavily influenced the current decentralized sector and privacy landscape. The number of subscribers to the cypherpunk mailing list (and, likely, to the movement) reached over 2,000 individuals by 1997, and the results are still seen today. Remarkable names and products that came from here include Julian Assange (WikiLeaks), Adam Back (Hashcash & Blockstream), Eric Blossom (GNU Radio Project), Phil Zimmerman (PGP Protocol), Bram Cohen (BitTorrent & Chia), Hal Finney (First Proof-of-Work), Nick Szabo (First Smart Contracts), Wei Dai (B-Money), Zooko Wilcox (Zcash), and, of course, Satoshi Nakamoto (Bitcoin). We’ll cover some of them in our future articles in this series. Tim May wasn’t fully happy with Bitcoin though. In an interview with CoinDesk a couple of months before his death, he commented how all the centralized services (KYC exchanges, bank-friendly coins, etc.) around Bitcoin and other cryptos would make Satoshi “barf.” Cryptocurrencies are meant to be completely decentralized, and not “Yet Another PayPal.” interview with CoinDesk interview with CoinDesk Cryptocurrencies are meant to be completely decentralized, and not “Yet Another PayPal.” “There’s not much of interest to many of us if cryptocurrencies just become Yet Another PayPal, just another bank transfer system. What's exciting is the bypassing of gatekeepers, of exorbitant fee collectors, of middlemen who decide whether Wikileaks — to pick a timely example — can have donations reach it. And to allow people to send money abroad. Attempts to be "regulatory-friendly" will likely kill the main uses for cryptocurrencies, which are NOT just another form of PayPal or Visa.” “There’s not much of interest to many of us if cryptocurrencies just become Yet Another PayPal, just another bank transfer system. What's exciting is the bypassing of gatekeepers, of exorbitant fee collectors, of middlemen who decide whether Wikileaks — to pick a timely example — can have donations reach it. And to allow people to send money abroad. Attempts to be "regulatory-friendly" will likely kill the main uses for cryptocurrencies, which are NOT just another form of PayPal or Visa.” Obyte as a fully decentralized crypto The Obyte cryptocurrency ecosystem distinguishes itself as a superior embodiment of decentralized ideals, aligning with Tim May's vision of bypassing gatekeepers and eliminating exorbitant fee collectors. Unlike many cryptocurrencies that risk becoming mere replicas of traditional financial systems, Obyte's design emphasizes simplicity, efficiency, and user empowerment. Obyte Obyte aligning with Tim May's vision of bypassing gatekeepers and eliminating exorbitant fee collectors. By utilizing a Directed Acyclic Graph (DAG) structure instead of a blockchain , Obyte enhances decentralization, security, and community ownership by replacing miners or “validators” with much less powerful Order Providers (OPs). The transactions of the OPs serve as waypoints to order the rest, and that’s it. They can’t approve, block, censor, or control other users’ transactions in any way. instead of a blockchain instead of a blockchain In contrast to attempts to be overly "regulatory-friendly" (e.g. by censoring Tornado Cash transactions ) that risk stifling the true potential of cryptocurrencies, Obyte's focus on maintaining its decentralized ethos ensures that it remains a freedom-asserting, censorship-proof, and neutral space. The ecosystem's dedication to enabling secure, private, and low-cost transactions exemplifies a commitment to the ideals that cypherpunks envisioned, making Obyte a standout model in the realm of decentralized finance. censoring Tornado Cash transactions censoring Tornado Cash transactions Read more from Cypherpunks Write Code series: Read more from Cypherpunks Write Code series: Cypherpunks Write Code Wei Dai & B-money Wei Dai & B-money Wei Dai & B-money Nick Szabo & Smart Contracts Nick Szabo & Smart Contracts Nick Szabo & Smart Contracts Adam Back & Hashcash Adam Back & Hashcash Adam Back & Hashcash Eric Hughes & Remailer Eric Hughes & Remailer Eric Hughes & Remailer St Jude & Community Memory St Jude & Community Memory St Jude & Community Memory Hal Finney & RPOW Hal Finney & RPOW Hal Finney & RPOW John Gilmore and EFF John Gilmore and EFF John Gilmore and EFF Phil Zimmerman & PGP Phil Zimmerman & PGP Phil Zimmerman & PGP Featured Vector Image by Garry Killian / Freepik Featured Vector Image by Garry Killian / Freepik Freepik Freepik Tim May Photograph by Jim Epstein / Twitter Tim May Photograph by Jim Epstein / Twitter Twitter Twitter

Cypherpunks Write Code: Timothy C. May, Crypto-Anarchism, and Cypherpunks

সাইফারপাঙ্কস কোড লিখুন: টিমোথি সি. মে, ক্রিপ্টো-নৈরাজ্যবাদ এবং সাইফারপাঙ্কস

Cypherpunks schreiben Code: Timothy C. May, Krypto-Anarchismus und Cypherpunks

Los Cypherpunks escriben código: Timothy C. May, el criptoanarquismo y los Cypherpunks

Les Cypherpunks écrivent du code : Timothy C. May, le crypto-anarchisme et les Cypherpunks

साइफरपंक्स कोड लिखें: टिमोथी सी. मे, क्रिप्टो-अराजकतावाद, और साइफरपंक्स

サイファーパンクのコード作成: Timothy C. May、暗号アナキズム、およびサイファーパンク

사이퍼펑크의 코드 작성: Timothy C. May, Crypto-Anarchism 및 Cypherpunks

Cypherpunks escrevem código: Timothy C. May, cripto-anarquismo e Cypherpunks

Шифропанки пишут код: Тимоти К. Мэй, криптоанархизм и шифропанки

Şifrepunklar Kod Yazıyor: Timothy C. May, Kripto-Anarşizm ve Şifrepunklar

Cypherpunks viết mã: Timothy C. May, Chủ nghĩa vô chính phủ tiền điện tử và Cypherpunks

密码朋克编写代码：Timothy C. May、加密无政府主义和密码朋克

Some quite interesting things happened inside the crypto world in 2023, and some others will come in 2024, likely. We ended the year with a bullish note in the whole market —something that we couldn’t say in 2022. On the other hand, according to some sources, crypto adoption didn’t rise last year, but it still holds some promises for the future. Per Chainalysis, the global crypto adoption landscape is being dominated by central and southern Asia. Their led to this conclusion considering factors like cryptocurrency value traded on centralized exchanges and Decentralized Finance (DeFi) DeFi protocols in different countries. More specifically, Global Crypto Adoption Index India, Nigeria, Vietnam, United States, Ukraine, Philippines, Indonesia, Pakistan, Brazil, and Thailand (in that order) were the top crypto-adopters worldwide in 2023. Let’s explore more about them, and also about some other relevant factors for crypto adoption in 2023 and this new year. Top Crypto-Adopters Well, despite people trading online a lot, not everything is sweet for the top countries by crypto adoption. India finished 2023 by of nine global crypto exchanges, including Kraken and Binance, for supposed non-compliance with their Anti-Money Laundering (AML) laws. They also have a 30% and are still crypto regulations. banning the websites tax on crypto profits exploring more The landscape seems better in Nigeria. After several years of hostilities, This, of course, could increase the adoption this year even though the government imposed a 10% on crypto profits. They also plan Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs) and stablecoins. their central bank finally to lift the ban on financial institutions serving crypto users and firms. decided tax to regulate Vietnam, for its part, is still hostile against cryptocurrencies —or at least its government is. There’s a banking ban in place, while the cryptocurrency underlying technology (DLT) is for other purposes. Pakistan and the Philippines have almost identical stories, banning coins or but maintaining to build their own Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC). Indonesia is also planning a CBDC, but they created a for exchanges to operate through it. Thailand has been more crypto-friendly, but crypto lending operations. being embraced exchanges plans crypto-specific bourse they have banned Beyond Asia, Ukraine has gladly adopted cryptocurrencies to help in its war against Russia. Meanwhile, in Brazil, several financial institutions crypto services, while a 15% tax will be on offshore crypto earnings from 2024. Now, as usual, the United States is involved in some high-profile crypto news this year, given its massive adoption. It’s been that they’ve received at least $225 million from global crypto donations. calculated are offering in place What happened to crypto in 2023? We can say that the US is an ambivalent country, with different laws in different states. For instance, Wyoming has been considered one of the most worldwide; while the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) over 150 crypto projects and brands since 2013. And last year wasn’t different. crypto-friendly destinations has been suing Seeing the conclusion of those processes may take a while, considering that their lawsuit against Ripple started in 2020 and barely finished this year —with favorable results for the crypto firm in July. In June 2023, the and Coinbase, two of the largest crypto exchanges by volume. SEC sued Binance However, in November, Changpeng Zhao (ex-CEO of ) pleaded guilty to charges of violations of AML laws in the US. The exchange to pay over $4 billion in penalties, while Zhao will be judged in the country. Binance's new CEO is Richard Teng, and the brand’s products are working normally. Binance is expected Also in the US, Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF), ex-CEO of the infamous crypto exchange FTX, was declared guilty in his fraud trial. He’s expected decades in prison, while Zhao could barely face some months. to serve Moving away from the US, Terra (LUNA) founder, Do Kwon, was arrested in Montenegro in March. El Salvador, still the only country with as legal tender, is planning to issue new Bitcoin “ ” for 2024 and passed a law to to foreigners who invest BTC in the country. In the European Union, the MiCA law (Markets in Crypto Assets) was finally in April, and it’s set to take full force in June 2024. Bitcoin Volcano Bonds offer citizenship approved In general, the whole crypto market capitalization increased by over 101% in 2023 (according to CMC). Investors can start 2024 with some good news. Besides, cryptocurrencies are now legal in 119 countries, which is most of the world (according to ). CoinGecko Obyte in 2023 We released several DeFi products in 2023, available for everyone, and Obyte had its seventh birthday last Christmas. We’ve been working hard to improve our ecosystem and add awesome new opportunities for all users. This asset is an integral part of the Oswap.io DEX, and not only serves as a governance token but also acts as a reward mechanism. Users can stake their holdings to get long-term rewards, deposit their LP tokens to receive a share of OSWAP emissions, and participate in the governance of the system. The farming pools are now offering up to 900,257% Annual Percentage Yield (APY) to liquidity providers. April brought us the , the first-ever DEX token issued on a bonding curve. OSWAP Token June saw the official release of the , a groundbreaking decentralized escrow platform featuring professional arbiters and a new type of smart contract in the Obyte wallet ( ). ArbStore provides a secure and trustless environment for international trade, ensuring a fair and efficient dispute-resolution process. ArbStore Contracts with Arbitration Both parties of a contract can write and privately share their own terms inside their Obyte wallets, deposit the funds, and take advantage of the smart contract and selected arbiter to protect their mutual conditions. As part of the program, Dapps developers receive generous rewards of 1,000,000 KAVA tokens (approximately $1 million) monthly. Obyte enrolled two Dapps: and . The funds obtained from it are used to create buy pressure for GBYTE, and we're distributing 90% of the acquired GBYTEs to users actively contributing to the TVL on Counterstake and LINE. In August, we joined the reward program and launched the new LINE token, a price-protected asset for rewards. Kava Rise Counterstake Bridge LINE Cryptocurrency Trends for 2024 We can never be sure about the future, but some early trends can give us some clues about what’s next for the crypto world. According to the by Gemini, we could have some interesting things going. They expect, for instance, a higher intersection between Artificial Intelligence (AI) and cryptocurrency systems. 2024 Crypto Trend Report In the meantime, AI-related tokens are experiencing a notable surge in prices, signaling a growing interest and confidence in the market. The integration is expected to revolutionize various aspects, including smart contracts, secure data solutions, transparent large language models, crypto security (audits), and the fight against disinformation. On the other hand, there’s hype around a potential approval for a Spot Bitcoin ETF in the United States. The release of this product, along with the next Bitcoin halving (to reduce the supply inflation) in April 2024, could positively affect the Bitcoin price, and, by extension, the whole crypto market capitalization. Even if most countries have legalized cryptocurrencies, only 52.1% have applied specific frameworks (according to ). The MiCA law is the first one to cover multiple aspects of cryptocurrencies for numerous countries at one time. As a consequence of a major regulatory clarity, more institutions and companies could adopt cryptocurrencies to invest or offer services for users, and even to create their own stablecoins. More regulation is coming worldwide, though. CoinGecko What’s next for Obyte? We have some interesting projects in progress for Obyte. For instance, we’re planning to update the selection process soon to make it entirely controlled by the users. Let’s remember that the OPs are reputable Obyte users, often companies or organizations, whose transactions serve as waypoints for ordering all others. order provider (OP) The new listing will come very soon, and we’re going to announce all the details in the next few weeks. Besides, we’re currently in negotiations with a reputable global exchange to list GBYTE. For now, you can enjoy any of our current features, including but not limited to autonomous agents for automatic tasks, wallet chatbots, textcoins, ID solutions, smart contracts, and new reward programs. Our liquidity providers receive weekly payments, and our average users can always transact in a fast, inexpensive, and censorship-free environment. Let’s make 2024 awesome and decentralized too! Featured Vector Image by jcomp / Freepik

Cryptocurrency Horizons: A 2023 Recap and Glimpse into 2024 Trends

ক্রিপ্টোকারেন্সি হরাইজনস: একটি 2023 রিক্যাপ এবং 2024 প্রবণতার ঝলক

Kryptowährungshorizonte: Ein Rückblick auf das Jahr 2023 und einen Einblick in die Trends für das Jahr 2024

Horizontes de las criptomonedas: un resumen de 2023 y un vistazo a las tendencias de 2024

Horizons de crypto-monnaie : un récapitulatif de 2023 et un aperçu des tendances de 2024

क्रिप्टोक्यूरेंसी क्षितिज: 2023 का पुनर्कथन और 2024 के रुझानों की झलक

暗号通貨の地平線: 2023 年の総括と 2024 年のトレンドの概要

암호화폐 지평선: 2023년 요약 및 2024년 동향 엿보기

Horizontes de criptomoeda: uma recapitulação de 2023 e um vislumbre das tendências de 2024

Горизонты криптовалют: подведение итогов 2023 года и взгляд на тенденции 2024 года

Kripto Para Ufukları: 2023 Özeti ve 2024 Trendlerine Bakış

Tầm nhìn về tiền điện tử: Tóm tắt năm 2023 và cái nhìn thoáng qua về xu hướng năm 2024

加密货币视野：2023 年回顾和 2024 年趋势一瞥

No, it’s not the eating utensil. We’re talking here about a split, a single path that divides into two or more. In this case, in the digital world, and for a cryptocurrency chain in particular. However, this isn’t exclusive to the crypto world. Indeed, the act of “forking” a code is fundamental for any kind of open-source software. . In case you didn’t know, cryptocurrencies are software too, and most of them are open-source software; which means that literally anyone can make a fork (a copy) of any of them to start their own project or apply new features. Basically, a fork occurs when someone makes an identical copy of an already-existing piece of software/source code Then again, that doesn’t mean everyone will accept those changes and use that version of the software or cryptocurrency. Multiple versions of the same software can exist independently of each other, and have their own developers, features, and communities, even if they share an early history. Why make a crypto fork? In the recent past, a fork used to imply a schism in the development team. For instance, some of the members abandoning the project, or having “creative differences.” Currently, it could mean that too, but . The open-source software is mostly developed by a whole community of volunteers, and its license is free to use and share. it’s widely expected that open-source software can be forked by default, just to accept contributions from others Cryptocurrencies often fall into the realm of open-source software. For instance, Bitcoin, , and Ethereum are open-source and free to use and “fork” for any purpose —even to sell it. On repositories , anyone could fork a source code with a button. However, again, only the community (including wallets and exchanges) decides what version to use, and that’s often the oldest one, maintained by the original team or their successors. Obyte like GitHub This way, the “forking” feature is often used by the programmer’s community (the older or main version). On the other hand, the main team can also apply a fork into the “real” chain, in real-time. This could be done to fix security issues or to apply previously tested changes, including tokenomics, consensus algorithm, or scalability attributes. to test new functions and make improvement proposals to be applied by original developers into the main “branch” It could be a schism, too. This is what happened to create Ethereum and Ethereum Classic, and Bitcoin and Bitcoin Cash. Founders and developers of these coins had strong ideological differences in both cases, so they split the software to start their own paths in the form of totally new coins and chains. Soft vs. Hard Fork There are two main types of forks —applied to cryptos. A hard fork involves a fundamental and irreversible divergence in the chain, often requiring all participants to upgrade their software to continue participating in the network. Those participants are often miners, validators, nodes, wallets, exchanges, or, in summary, “big players” instead of average users —who may benefit or not from their providers, barely updating their apps or doing nothing. They could be irreversible (hard forks) or, let’s say, “parallels” (soft forks). This type of fork can result in the creation of a new and separate cryptocurrency, with distinct rules and history. For its part, a soft fork is a more backward-compatible upgrade that introduces new rules while maintaining compatibility with the existing protocol. So, it’s a “parallel” update. Participants who have not upgraded can still interact with the network, although they may not benefit from new features. Upgraded and non-upgraded nodes can coexist on the same network. Examples of a hard fork involving a schism in their communities are Ethereum Classic (ETC) and Bitcoin Cash (BCH). For instance, Bitcoin (BTC) has passed through several hard forks over the years to make updates or patch bugs. A famous one occurred , when someone exploited a vulnerability to mine 92 billion BTC (much more than the supply). The hard fork was made to fix that issue. But it’s important to note that hard forks don’t always lead to the creation of a new coin. in 2010 Soft forks have also been present in Bitcoin and other chains. A popular example is Segregated Witness ( ) for BTC. This is a feature that rearranges the block data to occupy less space and improve transactions, but it’s optional to apply for nodes. SegWit What happens with your coins in a crypto fork? That’s likely the most important question here, and it has easy answers. In a crypto soft fork, absolutely nothing should happen to your coins. After that, maybe, you’ll even enjoy new features. In a hard fork, on the other hand, several things could happen and you should pay attention to them. First of all, it’s likely that your providers (wallets, exchanges, custodians) . Wait and see is the standard procedure there: it’s usually not safe to make transactions for some hours. recommend or directly ban you from doing transactions during the event, due to the network instability at the moment Next, everything might be back to normal and nothing else happened, or the hard fork had given birth to another chain and its respective coin. This could be good news for you, because everything is copied in a hard fork, including the whole transaction history and users’ balances. In other words, if you had some tokens in chain A, you’d acquire the same amount in the new chain B. If token A was valued at, let’s say, $100 per unit at the moment of the split, that doesn’t mean the new token B will have the same price. It could even have no price at all. You’ll acquire the same number of coins, but not at the same value, because they’re not the same anymore. Is this free money, really? Well, yes and no. Different Coins, Different Values Back in 2017, when a hard fork created Bitcoin Cash, each BCH started to be traded at about $300, while BTC was priced at around $4,000 [CMC]. So, if you had 1 BTC at the moment of the split, you also acquired 1 BCH, but not exactly $8,000 in funds. Just $300 more, if traded the same week. The hard fork doesn’t imply that your coins will be forever cloned in both chains, either. This just happens once, at that exact date and time. If you had nothing at the moment of the fork, then no coins were multiplied. Bitcoin applied SegWit, and Bitcoin Cash increased the size of its blocks and suffered more hard forks and schisms over the years. Their development teams are different, their roadmaps, ideologies, prices, and market caps. They do have different communities and their own set of users. That’s what a hard fork may do. The paths of both coins have been definitely apart from there. However, users still can use both coins, without choosing between the two of them. Software forks were created to add value, not to take it away, and they’re another important way of decentralization. Just as Linus Nyman and Juho Lindman said in about it: a paper “On a software level, code forking serves as a governance mechanism for sustainability by offering a way to overcome planned obsolescence and decay (...) On a community level, code forking ensures sustainability by providing the community with an escape hatch: the right to start a new version of the program. Finally, on an ecosystem level, forking serves as a core component of natural selection and as a catalyst for innovation.” Forks may create different coins, chains, and versions of those chains, but as they say, the more, the merrier. In the end, the decision is only up to the users. Forks in Obyte Obyte, being a Directed Acyclic Graph (DAG) with a unique consensus system, doesn’t have soft forks. That’s because there are no powerful players to approve or disapprove such protocol changes without the consent of all other users. Instead of miners or “validators,” Obyte counts with (OPs). Order Providers They’re reputable users or organizations whose transactions serve as mere waypoints for ordering all others and are selected by community votes. So, all updates in this ecosystem are applied as hard forks after being discussed and thoroughly tested with the community of developers. By the way, anyone can participate in the Obyte development via GitHub, where its code is publicly available to fork if you want to. In this context, that involves creating a new repository, referred to as a fork, which shares code and visibility settings with the original "upstream" repository. forking is a process Users can fork a project to suggest fixes for bugs, make improvements, or even start their own Obyte-based software project. This collaborative method aligns with the principles of open-source software, fostering the creation of better, more reliable applications through code sharing. Featured Vector Image by Freepik

How Does a Crypto Fork Affect Your Coins?

কিভাবে একটি ক্রিপ্টো ফর্ক আপনার কয়েন প্রভাবিত করে?

Wie wirkt sich eine Kryptogabel auf Ihre Münzen aus?

¿Cómo afecta una bifurcación criptográfica a sus monedas?

Comment un Crypto Fork affecte-t-il vos pièces ?

क्रिप्टो कांटा आपके सिक्कों को कैसे प्रभावित करता है?

クリプトフォークはコインにどのような影響を与えますか?

암호화폐 포크가 코인에 어떤 영향을 미치나요?

Como um Crypto Fork afeta suas moedas?

Как форк криптовалюты влияет на ваши монеты?

Kripto Çatalı Coinlerinizi Nasıl Etkiler?

Fork tiền điện tử ảnh hưởng đến tiền của bạn như thế nào?

加密货币分叉如何影响您的硬币？

Everything Missing in Cosmos DeFi

Cosmos DeFi-এ সবকিছু অনুপস্থিত

Alles, was in Cosmos DeFi fehlt

Todo lo que falta en Cosmos DeFi

Tout ce qui manque dans Cosmos DeFi

कॉसमॉस डेफी में सब कुछ गायब है

Cosmos DeFi に欠けているものすべて

코스모스 DeFi에 빠진 모든 것

Tudo que falta no Cosmos DeFi

Все, чего не хватает в Cosmos DeFi

Cosmos DeFi'de Eksik Olan Her Şey

Mọi thứ còn thiếu trong Cosmos DeFi

Cosmos DeFi 中缺失的一切

Both of them are computer protocols designed to carry on decentralized functions, mostly with the help of smart contracts and . Those functions may include financial transactions, supply chain management, identity verification, customized token creation, and more, all without the need for a central authority —that’s why they’re “decentralized.” But Ethereum and Obyte also have important differences. cryptocurrencies Depending on what you’re looking for or even your programming level (that could be zero), one or the other platform would be the most convenient for your needs. So, you can check ahead what are their main similarities and differences and how to take advantage of them. Let’s go! Open Crypto Projects This one is a similarity. Ethereum and Obyte are open-source and free projects available for everyone (with programming knowledge) to check and edit. If you don’t have programming abilities, you still can freely use their wallets and apps to the extent of the knowledge of any average Internet user. , gathered via GitHub. However, both Ethereum and Obyte have their own non-profit foundations in charge of fostering the development and adoption of these platforms. use the native assets of these platforms (GBYTE and ETH) to fund themselves and pay for some expenses —main developers, marketing efforts, bug bounty programs, grants, etc. In the background, both protocols are mostly developed and maintained by a lot of unpaid volunteers from all parts of the world These entities Their teams aren’t anonymous either, and none of the platforms are very new. Both protocols have well-known founders and developers. Ethereum was released in 2015 by a group of developers led by Vitalik Buterin, while Obyte was released in 2016 (as Byteball) by Anton Churyumov and his team. Dapps and Common Features Regarding what they can do, one of the key similarities is their ability to facilitate decentralized applications (DApps) and smart contracts. Both Ethereum and Obyte offer environments for developers to create and deploy these self-executing contracts, enabling a wide range of use cases. . and marketplaces are also possible on these platforms. On the other hand, organizations and companies can use the ledgers for supply chain management, identity verification, donations, and more. They include decentralized finance (DeFi), which is a whole industry made of payments, loans, savings, rewards, and more Non-fungible token (NFT) creation Another common feature is their support for tokenization. Ethereum, mainly through its ERC-20 and ERC-721 standards, and Obyte, with its built-in tokenization capabilities, enable the creation of customized digital assets and tokens. These tokens can represent anything from digital money to real-world assets like real estate and securities, providing a versatile framework for digitizing properties and conducting token-based transactions. Smart Contracts and Tokens Now, let’s look into the differences. While both platforms offer smart contracts and tokens, they do it very differently from each other. For starters, they operate with different programming languages: Ethereum with Solidity, and Obyte with . The first case (Solidity) has been known for its complexity and a steep learning curve for developers —since it’s a completely new programming language specifically designed for Ethereum. a wide array of undiscovered bugs and attacks in contracts written by not-so-skilled developers. Oscript This may bring –in the form of (AAs). This language is more transparent, making it easy to understand what is going on in the code and making it hard to make difficult-to-track errors. This way, numerous types of AAs providing various services (e.g., exchanges, stablecoins, prediction markets, etc.) can be created easily and safely. Oscript is also new, but it was designed for the opposite: to make it easier to create Dapps and contracts Autonomous Agents On the other hand, beyond AAs, smart contracts in Obyte are written in JSON data that can be shown in a human-readable way, which the Obyte wallet does. So, the user can quickly inspect the contract’s rules before interacting with it. The composition of a few common types of smart contracts is also available directly to users, just by filling out forms, with no coding required. That's not the case on Ethereum, where you would need coding knowledge to read and write them. Custom tokens Token creation is also different. In Obyte, all assets have the same status and obey the same rules as the native token GBYTE (beyond customized features like amount, decimals, privacy, fungibility, or name). This means that developers don’t have to reimplement basic transfer functions over and over again for every token, and there’s no way these functions can go wrong. On the other hand, on Ethereum, internal tokens (ERC-20 standard, mainly) don’t work as the native asset ETH. Besides, these tokens are  smart contracts themselves, and could be vulnerable to bugs and attacks. To send these tokens to other smart contracts, users need to give access to the smart contract to pull tokens from their wallets, where they’d be partially out of control. They need to be configured in detail, and users could if they send tokens to a contract that’s not equipped to receive them. lose money As for the interfaces, in order to send tokens to a smart contract users have to approve that smart contract to spend their tokens. This extra step is not intuitive at all. Meanwhile, in Obyte, users just send the tokens without extra steps. The creation of smart contracts and custom tokens on Ethereum often requires programming knowledge or expensive external middlemen (like or ). with the help of a chatbot in the wallet or the user-friendly , whose only fees are 0.005 GBYTEs (less than $1). Smart contracts are readable, and anyone can offer them through the wallet as well. Bitbond Token Generator In Obyte, anyone could create their own tokens without complex steps or high additional fees Asset Registry Fees and Decentralization Obyte tends to be cheaper, faster, and more decentralized than Ethereum. This blockchain uses Proof-of-Stake (PoS) to validate transactions and issue new coins. , so-called validators are chosen to create new blocks based on the number of native coins they "stake" or hold as collateral. This eliminates the need for the high amount of energy that previous Proof-of-Work (PoW) coins like Bitcoin require, but it could sacrifice decentralization –even if that concept isn’t in PoW networks either. In PoS networks fully achieved Validators with larger stakes wield more power in the network, potentially leading to centralization as those with substantial resources can dominate decision-making. Just like Ethereum, Obyte doesn’t need a lot of energy. Indeed, Obyte isn’t a “blockchain” but a distributed network built with the structure of a Directed Acyclic Graph (DAG). The graph is constructed only by users with each transaction they add. The new transactions link to the previous ones, and they’re registered forever this way. No one can censor transactions. But it doesn’t have PoS-like validators either, allowing a higher level of decentralization. To prevent double-spending, the Obyte DAG has who help establish a full order. They’re well-respected individuals or companies that create transactions like everyone else, but these transactions serve as waypoints for ordering all other transactions. They don’t have a lot of power, though, unlike miners or validators. Users remain in full control of their assets throughout the transaction process without having to rely on a select group. Decentralization is much stronger in this system. "Order Providers” Currently (September 2023), Ethereum has an average transaction fee of around $3 —it’s reached even $196 in the past, though. Meanwhile, transaction fees in Obyte are now around $0.0000083. The difference in transaction fees is also remarkable. Obyte Exclusive Features Obyte stands out in the crypto space by offering a range of exclusive features that contribute to its unique value proposition. Besides traditional Dapps, DeFi platforms, liquidity mining opportunities, and other common features with Ethereum, we can also count some interesting functions only available in this ecosystem as user-friendly apps. They’re human-readable smart contracts that allow users to send funds with . This means that transactions can be contingent on specific events or triggers, unlocking a wide array of use cases. For instance, you could send a payment that is only released to the recipient once they send another payment to you or an event is posted on the DAG, creating a trustless and automated system for contractual agreements. Conditional Payments: predefined conditions Obyte enables the creation of tokens with bonding curves, a mathematical system that allows token prices to be dynamically determined based on supply and demand. These curves facilitate automated price adjustments as more tokens are bought or sold, which can be useful for projects conducting token sales or managing liquidity. The , , and use this system. Tokens with Bonding Curves: OSWAP Token Bonded Stablecoins Prophet prediction markets This unique feature allows for dispute resolution in cases where one of the parties must release the funds to the other from a smart contract —for example, after the completion of a task or a purchase. Arbiters from the can step in to mediate and make decisions, adding a layer of security and trust to complex transactions and agreements on the platform. Contracts with Arbitration: ArbStore This function enables users to send cryptocurrency via simple text messages, mail, chats, . It’s a very user-friendly approach that lowers barriers to entry and makes cryptocurrency transactions more accessible to a broader audience, potentially driving adoption and mainstream use. Textcoins: or paper platform facilitates cascading donations for open-source projects, where recipients on GitHub can set up automated donations to multiple recipients in different proportions. This way, all interconnected projects can help each other while receiving donations from others. Cascading Donations: Obyte's Kivach These automated conversational agents are integrated into the Obyte wallet, enabling users to interact with numerous services and perform various actions through simple instructions and steps. Chatbots enhance the user experience by simplifying complex tasks and providing real-time assistance to users. Chatbots: These exclusive features collectively make Obyte a compelling platform for developers and users alike, offering a wide range of capabilities beyond simple transactions. Ethereum also has numerous use cases, depending on developers and users worldwide. Despite this, we can say that Obyte offers a more decentralized, open, and inexpensive ecosystem with unique features available for everyone.

Ethereum vs. Obyte: A Comparison — Or How to Choose the Best One for You

ইথেরিয়াম বনাম ওবাইট: একটি তুলনা —অথবা আপনার জন্য সেরাটি কীভাবে চয়ন করবেন

Ethereum vs. Obyte: Ein Vergleich – oder wie Sie das beste für Sie auswählen

Ethereum vs. Obyte: una comparación o cómo elegir el mejor para usted

Ethereum vs Obyte : une comparaison – ou comment choisir celui qui vous convient le mieux

एथेरियम बनाम ओबाइट: एक तुलना-या अपने लिए सर्वश्रेष्ठ कैसे चुनें

イーサリアムとオバイト: 比較 — または自分にとって最適なものを選択する方法

Ethereum 대 Obyte: 비교 – 또는 귀하에게 가장 적합한 것을 선택하는 방법

Ethereum vs. Obyte: uma comparação - ou como escolher o melhor para você

Ethereum против Obyte: сравнение — или как выбрать лучший для себя

Ethereum ve Obyte: Bir Karşılaştırma — Veya Sizin İçin En İyisini Nasıl Seçebilirsiniz?

Ethereum và Obyte: So sánh —Hoặc Cách chọn cái tốt nhất cho bạn

以太坊与 Obyte：比较——或者如何选择最适合您的一个

Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) has rapidly transformed the way we think about data management and trust in the digital age. At its core, DLT refers to a decentralized database system spread across multiple networked computers. While , the technology behind cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, initially popularized DLT, it's essential to recognize that the ledger landscape has since evolved considerably. blockchain Among these alternatives are Directed Acyclic Graphs (DAGs), such as , which provides more decentralization. Blockchain remains a key player, but DLT has diversified, offering various structures and applications tailored to specific needs. Obyte On the other hand, besides the structure, DLTs could be classified as permissioned (private) and permissionless (public). As the names suggest, they could be used privately by a certain company, organization, or even individual, or publicly and free by everyone. In our case, we’re gonna dive a bit more into the available DLT structures and their main features. Blockchain Of course, this one is the most well-known type of distributed ledger. It consists of a chain of digital blocks, where each block contains a list of transactions. These blocks are linked together using cryptographic hashes (unique IDs). In cryptocurrencies, blocks containing transactions are created by users who decide to do so. They’re known as miners or validators. Anyone with the right equipment or sufficient capital could be one of those users; however, in practice, block production is often dominated by a small (2-5) number of users. All participant nodes must reach a consensus —agree about the state of the network and its valid transactions. For this, blockchains use various mechanisms. The most used of them are Proof-of-Work (PoW) and Proof-of-Stake (PoS). The first one requires a lot of energy to solve complex cryptography, so it's not considered . The second one eliminates the energy part but replaces it by giving block production power to the richer nodes, which may cause unfair centralization. very eco-friendly Bitcoin (BTC), Dogecoin (DOGE), and Monero (XMR) are PoW blockchains. Meanwhile, Ethereum (ETH), BNB Chain (BNB), and Cardano (ADA) are PoS blockchains, just to name a few examples. Distributed Hash Table (DHT) A Distributed Hash Table (DHT) is a decentralized and distributed data structure used in computer networks to efficiently store and retrieve information. Think of it as a massive, virtual storage system that's spread across many connected computers. Each computer holds a part of this data table, and the DHT helps locate where specific pieces of information are stored. Unlike blockchains, DHTs store key-value pairs, much like a distributed dictionary. It’s optimized for efficient data retrieval based on keys. Currently, the main example of this system applied in a crypto ecosystem is the platform Holochain and its native coin, Holo (HOT). They describe the system :\ like this “Rather than thinking of Holochain like blockchain, it may be better to think of it like git repositories for each agent [node] which can be published, shared, synchronized, or merged via a BitTorrent-like DHT (Distributed Hash Table). The provenance of all shared data is strictly enforced and the structure, content, and its compliance with shared application rules are validated by randomized peers.” DHT has been primarily used for distributed data storage and retrieval, though. It still could have unknown exploits in this format. Tempo + Cerberus Tempo is described as a distributed ledger and consensus protocol at the same time. It introduced the concept of a shared ledger with lazy consensus, aiming to reduce communication complexity and achieve scalability. Lazy consensus is an approach where nodes don’t engage immediately. Instead, they accept and process transactions independently, coming to a consensus only when a dispute or conflict arises. Tempo faced limitations related to finality and fault tolerance, which became apparent during testing. To address these issues and further enhance the scalability and performance of their DLT, the crypto ecosystem "Cerberus" in 2020. This is a multi-shard consensus protocol that incorporates elements from Tempo and HotStuff, a consensus protocol that changes leaders with every request to optimize performance. Radix introduced Cerberus leverages massive presharding, allowing for virtually unlimited parallelism in transaction processing. It also introduces a novel "braiding" mechanism to enable atomic transactions across shards. This complexity may make it more challenging for developers to understand and implement, potentially increasing the risk of . bugs or vulnerabilities Directed Acyclic Graph A Directed Acyclic Graph (DAG) is a unique data structure and consensus mechanism used in certain cryptocurrencies. Unlike blockchains that arrange transactions in linear blocks, DAGs organize transactions into a graph-like structure without loops, meaning it's acyclic. In a , each transaction serves as a node within the graph. , thus checking prior network activities and making sure they are correctly recorded. This validation process is crucial for transaction security and consensus. DAG-based systems eliminate the need for mining altogether. Instead, users actively participate in securing the network every time they create new transactions. DAG-based system Before a user initiates a transaction, they validate all prior transactions since the network was started They can be faster, cheaper, and more decentralized, but not all DAGs are the same. Each of them has different systems, especially when it comes to consensus. Some of them could be faster than others; some others could have fewer intermediaries. It depends on the specific project since the “DAG” is merely a structure. Popular implementations of this system include platforms like IOTA (MIOTA), Nano (XNO), Obyte (GBYTE), and Hedera Hashgraph (HBAR). The last one isn’t described properly as a “DAG” but uses DAGs inside its own unique . Hashgraph DLT system Obyte as a DAG Every cryptocurrency platform works in its own way, and it’s not different in Obyte. While other DAGs may increase centralization with their consensus mechanisms, Obyte is committed to the idea of a true ledger without middlemen. . Instead, along with an already partially ordered DAG, Obyte has to establish an unambiguous order of transactions and avoid double-spending. In this platform, there aren’t powerful parties (such as miners, privileged users, or companies) to control the network Order Providers (OPs) OPs are typically well-respected individuals or companies that create transactions like everyone else, only that these transactions serve as waypoints for ordering all other transactions. In other words, their transactions are like guides or small headlights for the rest of operations to follow a single path. In return, they get a portion of the transaction fees, but that shouldn’t be the main purpose of an Order Provider. They should be respectable members of the community with great interest in its well-being. And they can’t do a lot of things that miners and validators can — they simply don’t have that power. If we imagine a scenario where they misbehave and collude, they can’t do much. They can’t censor transactions, double-spend, or steal funds. The only thing they can do is stop the network until a new network with a new set of Order Providers is restarted from the point where the old network stopped. That’s not very useful for them. Besides, all the OPs are selected by community voting through . their wallets It prioritizes a true ledger without middlemen, ensuring that powerful parties cannot control the network and maintaining security and practicality at the same time. In the realm of DAG-based cryptocurrencies, Obyte stands out for its commitment to decentralization. Featured Vector Image by Freepik

Understanding Distributed Ledger (DLT) Types: It’s Not Only Blockchain

ডিস্ট্রিবিউটেড লেজার (DLT) প্রকার বোঝা: এটি শুধুমাত্র ব্লকচেইন নয়

Distributed Ledger (DLT)-Typen verstehen: Es ist nicht nur Blockchain

Comprensión de los tipos de libro mayor distribuido (DLT): no es solo blockchain

Comprendre les types de registres distribués (DLT) : il ne s'agit pas seulement de blockchain

वितरित बहीखाता (डीएलटी) के प्रकारों को समझना: यह केवल ब्लॉकचेन नहीं है

分散台帳 (DLT) の種類を理解する: ブロックチェーンだけではない

분산 원장(DLT) 유형 이해: 블록체인만이 아닙니다

Compreendendo os tipos de razão distribuída (DLT): não é apenas Blockchain

Понимание типов распределенного реестра (DLT): это не только блокчейн

Dağıtılmış Defter (DLT) Türlerini Anlamak: Yalnızca Blockchain Değil

Hiểu các loại sổ cái phân tán (DLT): Không chỉ có Blockchain

了解分布式账本 (DLT) 类型：不仅仅是区块链

Picture this: a city where the streets flow like a choreographed dance, where vehicles move in perfect harmony, effortlessly gliding through intersections without a single honk or screeching brake. A city where the air is cleaner, traffic is a distant memory, and the cacophony of rush-hour congestion has been replaced by a tranquil urban symphony. Welcome to the future of urban living, where take the wheel and usher us into a new era of transportation. autonomous vehicles (AVs) As we stand on the threshold of this transformative technological revolution, the importance of urban planning for autonomous cities cannot be overstated. AVs hold the potential to revolutionize our urban landscapes, offering benefits from heightened safety to reduced gridlock and greater accessibility for all. Our journey throughout this article will take us through a series of essential waypoints, where we will examine the current state of AV technology, its implications for urban infrastructure, and the regulatory frameworks that are emerging to govern this new reality. We will also explore the potential challenges and ethical considerations that must be addressed along the way. So, fasten your seatbelts as we embark on a captivating exploration of urban planning for autonomous cities. The Rise of Autonomous Vehicles The technology behind AV has been in development for years, undergoing various stages of progression. These stages are classified from Level 0 to Level 5, depending on the degree of automation and AI integration: Vehicles in this category don't incorporate AI: drivers must control these vehicles solely based on their skills. No Automation (Level 0). Although the driver maintains control, the vehicle can offer limited assistance. Features might include Active Cruise Control (ACC) and Parking Sensors. Driver Assistance (Level 1). Vehicles at this level employ Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) to control steering and braking, potentially averting collisions. Nonetheless, drivers should remain attentive. Partial Automation (Level 2). Here, the vehicle's AI can manage most tasks, but human intervention might still be necessary in certain situations. Conditional Automation (Level 3). If a human doesn't intervene when required, the AI can still ensure the safety of its passengers. It autonomously navigates, assesses its surroundings, and adjusts in accordance. High Automation (Level 4). This level characterizes the vision many have for the future of transportation. Such vehicles don't need a driver: they can travel safely in any environment and under any weather conditions, thanks to their highly sophisticated AI systems. Full Automation (Level 5). As cities globally have started embracing the concept of autonomous vehicles, the state of their deployment varies due to different factors. Some cities have already initiated pilot programs, while others are still in the planning stages. Indeed, the adoption of AV is not without challenges: safety concerns, regulatory hurdles, infrastructure readiness, and public acceptance are among the most pressing issues cities face. Key Players in AV Development However, nowadays, the autonomous vehicle landscape is vast, with both legacy automakers and cutting-edge tech firms playing pivotal roles. Among these can be highlighted the well-known , which plans to launch its autonomous commercial vehicle based on the Ford Escape Hybrid in collaboration with Argo AI; aims to introduce the , IONIQ 5, in teamwork with Hyundai Motor Company; 's Autopilot feature is also a hallmark in driver assistance, evolving continuously through deep learning. Ford Aptiv PLC all-electric Robotaxi Tesla Among those who make their contributions to AV development are companies that are not associated with vehicles in the first place. is a pioneer in creating sensors and software for autonomous cars. Their partnership with Volvo resulted in the first car equipped with Luminar's LIDAR system as standard. Traditionally known for its graphic processing units, 's Drive Orin chip is a beacon in intelligent vehicle computing — their tech is already being employed by firms like Lucid Group and BYD. Luminar Technologies NVIDIA Transforming Urban Transportation: What Advantages AVs Can Introduce to Our Lives Autonomous vehicles possess the transformative ability to mitigate urban traffic congestion. Through advanced algorithms and real-time data, AVs can choose the most efficient routes, minimizing traffic jams. Additionally, platooning — vehicles traveling closely at consistent speeds — can optimize road space and enhance traffic flow. AVs have the potential to significantly benefit seniors, individuals with disabilities, and underserved communities by offering mobility solutions. No longer constrained by traditional vehicle operation challenges, these groups can enjoy newfound freedom and independence. For example, in reaching doctor and personal care visits, purchasing food and supplies, and attending community events. AVs could assist the elderly The environmental merits of AVs are noteworthy, too. Their precision driving can lead to a decrease in greenhouse gas emissions by reducing fuel consumption. Moreover, as many AVs are likely to be electric, the decrease in fossil fuel dependence signifies a cleaner urban environment. Preparing Urban Infrastructure: Where to Begin The Need for Smart Infrastructure As the dawn of the autonomous vehicle era approaches, cities must prioritize upgrading their infrastructure. It's important to integrate advanced traffic management systems that can communicate seamlessly with AVs. The incorporation of dedicated AV lanes can further ensure smooth traffic flow and safety. Cybersecurity and Data Management Autonomous vehicles' vast amounts of data must be securely managed to prevent breaches and misuse. Cities will need to implement robust cybersecurity protocols and develop frameworks for data management to protect both the vehicles and their passengers. Legal and Regulatory Framework The integration of AVs into urban spaces requires a comprehensive re-evaluation of existing legal and regulatory structures as well as cybersecurity, ensuring safety, addressing liability concerns, and establishing standards. Cities must actively collaborate with industry stakeholders and policymakers to draft initiatives that facilitate the harmonious coexistence of AVs and traditional vehicles. Nonetheless, as the global trend for AV integration continues, there are already great examples of cities across the world that implement consistent strategies to come to fruitful results. Case Studies: Cities Leading the Way is definitely at the forefront of adopting autonomous vehicles. A*STAR's Institute for Infocomm Research pioneered the movement with its self-driving vehicle, the first to be approved for public road testing in one-north in 2015. Concurrently, collaborations between the National University of Singapore and the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology have resulted in innovative prototypes, enabling on-demand shuttle services around the NUS campus and initiating public trials in locales like the Chinese and Japanese Gardens as early as 2014. Singapore has taken significant steps toward advancing autonomous vehicle adoption, notably through its collaboration with Volvo launched the project, recognized as the world's most advanced public autonomous driving experiment, rolling out the first autonomous Volvo XC90 SUV from its Torslanda facility. This vehicle is the pioneering model in a series set to be provided to Gothenburg families for public road use. Gothenburg . Volvo Cars Drive Me There are far more examples of both cities and companies bringing the future of AV, such as operating in and in , and in , and a myriad of others. If you are curious to know more, consider looking at of the cities provided by KPMG. Waymo Phoenix, Arizona, USA, Didi Chuxing Tesla Shanghai, China Nissan Honda Tokyo, Japan this list Community Engagement and Ethical Considerations However, to make use of the numerous potential advantages of AVs for every city in the world in the future — from increased safety to optimized mobility — it is vital that communities play an active role in the planning and decision-making processes. As AVs are conceived to reshape the fabric of our cities, ensuring that the voices of the people who inhabit these spaces are heard is the key to equitable development. As noted by Jennifer Henaghan, the editor of , by involving communities, planners can help strike a balance between technological advancements and the real-world needs of residents. the American Planning Association’s report The onset of AVs also presents a bundle of ethical concerns. AV decision-making algorithms, for instance, are under scrutiny. How should an AV react in situations where harm is unavoidable? Whom should it prioritize? Liability issues, too, become a grey area: should the vehicle's manufacturer, software provider, or owner be blamed? Moreover, with technology companies at the helm of AV advancements, there is a looming threat to privacy, data security, and personal safety. Addressing these concerns requires an interdisciplinary approach, incorporating inputs from tech experts, urban planners, legal consultants, and the public to ensure that the future of transport remains transparent, accountable, and fair. Driving Into the Future: What is Awaiting And What Can Do Now? We The aforementioned interdisciplinary approach, however, will inevitably lead us to the presence of a large number of, sometimes even opposing, opinions. reflecting the comparative analysis of users', urban planners, and developers' assumptions, hopes, and concerns about autonomous vehicles claims that positive results will be achieved only if AVs are introduced in alignment with the collective wishes of society. However, while some of the assumptions and hopes were shared across the focus groups, there were some concerns that varied from team to team, signifying that there is something to work on to finally come to an agreement and start acting harmoniously. A recent research paper Lastly, navigating the imminent transformation in urban mobility goes beyond just technology and stretches to ensuring alignment with society's broader aspirations. From future users to developers and urban planners, the consensus underscores the need for collaborative decision-making. As we steer into the era of autonomous cities, it's vital to remember that this journey is about co-creating a future that genuinely benefits society. Our shared drive towards this horizon promises an exhilarating journey, and united, we can make it transformative.

Navigating Tomorrow's Roads: Urban Planning for Autonomous Cities

In an era where environmental concerns hold ever-increasing significance, the realm of cryptocurrencies and NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens) has come under scrutiny due to its potential ecological impact. As the popularity of digital assets continues to soar, so does the demand for sustainable and environmentally friendly options within this space. So, we’ll delve ahead into the intricate landscape of eco-conscious cryptocurrency and NFT selection. We will navigate the complexities, exploring factors to consider, technological innovations, and practical steps that empower individuals to make informed choices that align with both their digital pursuits and the well-being of our planet. But first… Why could cryptocurrencies and NFTs be polluting? . That’s because the production of that energy doesn’t always come from clean sources. Indeed, to the National Geographic Society, “human society is—for the time being [2022]—dependent on nonrenewable resources as its primary source of energy. Approximately 80 percent of the total amount of energy used globally each year comes from fossil fuels.” In case you didn’t know, the intensive use of electricity can also be polluting according Following that fact, the more energy we use, the more we tend to pollute. Cryptocurrencies and NFTs may use a lot of energy to produce themselves, especially Proof of Work-based coins like Bitcoin (BTC). The process of "mining" cryptocurrencies demands substantial computational power, leading to a colossal energy footprint. For instance, according to the Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance ( ), Bitcoin's annual energy consumption surpasses that of entire countries, with an estimate of over 131 TWh annually —as of 2023. This energy expenditure stems from the energy-intensive process of solving complex mathematical puzzles to create blocks and secure the network (mining). CCAF Similarly, NFTs, which have surged in popularity as digital art collectibles, also carry environmental consequences. have been built on blockchain platforms that often employ energy-intensive consensus mechanisms. This has prompted debates about the environmental trade-offs of purchasing and trading NFTs, particularly due to the energy consumed during their creation and transactions. Most NFTs Other crypto mechanisms Those concerns have led to calls for greener alternatives within the cryptocurrency and NFT space. , which require significantly less energy. Some crypto projects are transitioning to more eco-friendly consensus mechanisms, such as Proof of Stake (PoS) and Directed Acyclic Graph (DAG) As these digital assets continue to gain prominence, striking a balance between innovation and ecological responsibility remains a paramount challenge. However, you can help by choosing the greenest alternatives available. They can offer all the advantages given by cryptocurrencies and collectibles, without the polluting part. The mechanisms we mentioned above are present in numerous platforms and tokens, including Obyte (a DAG). PoS vs. DAG , so-called validators are chosen to create new blocks based on the number of native coins they "stake" or hold as collateral. This eliminates the need for resource-intensive computations, drastically reducing energy consumption. While this mitigates environmental concerns, it could sacrifice decentralization. Validators with larger stakes wield more power in the network, potentially leading to centralization as those with substantial resources can dominate decision-making. In PoS networks On the other hand, For instance, Obyte doesn’t have miners or “validators” (in the PoS sense). The graph is constructed only by users with each transaction they add. The new transactions link to the previous ones, and they’re registered forever this way. could be environmentally friendly as well, but also more decentralized than PoS systems. DAG networks To prevent double-spending, the Obyte DAG has who help establish a full order. They’re well-respected individuals or companies that create transactions like everyone else, but these transactions serve as waypoints for ordering all other transactions. They’re chosen by reputation and community voting, instead of the number of coins they own (although this might also be a factor). "Order Providers” They don’t have a lot of power either, unlike miners or validators. Users remain in full control of their assets throughout the transaction process, without having to rely on a select group of validators. Decentralization is much stronger in this system. Nevertheless, it’s worth noting that not all DAGs are the same. They could present substantial variances and different levels of decentralization. It’s important, then, to do your own research (DYOR) about other platforms. How do you know the used mechanism of each coin/NFT? It’s easy to acquire this knowledge, indeed. The first thing to consider is that you can’t blindly use crypto projects and marketplaces without reading about them beforehand. It’s important to investigate how they work, who’s behind them, what network they’re using, and what consensus mechanism is securing the transactions. All this information (and more) should be in the whitepaper of the project, placed as a link somewhere on their official sites. A whitepaper is a comprehensive document that outlines the purpose and mechanics of a crypto project. Some of them are longer and more complex than others. However, you don’t need to read the technical parts. Go to the section of the consensus mechanism, and verify if it isn't Proof-of-Work (PoW) or similar. They’d describe if this mechanism requires some kind of energy-intensive system. Then again, the main website could tell you this easily on their landing page or “About Us” section. Now, that’s only for cryptocurrencies and fungible tokens. If you’re buying or selling in a marketplace like OpenSea, Rarible, or you should check their “About Us” section or documentation to discover in which ledger(s) they work. In other cases, they specify the network explicitly and individually in each NFT. Starting from this data, you can apply the previous steps (whitepaper/main website) to discover how that network operates. NFTs may require a bit more investigation, but not much more. CryptoThings Some useful clues: if “staking/stakers/validators” are mentioned, the consensus mechanism is likely PoS. If “mining/miners” are mentioned, then it’s likely PoW. Bitcoin Ordinals, very popular NFTs this year [2023], are, of course, built on the Bitcoin network (PoW and energy-intensive). Sometimes, the marketplaces may not show the word “Bitcoin” at first sight, though. You should check their “About Us” section or previous reviews. Obyte as a green platform could be considered a green platform for creating (and using) both fungible and non-fungible tokens due to its unique consensus mechanism and energy-efficient design. In contrast to PoW or even PoS networks, . Transactions are added to the ledger directly by users, which avoids the energy-intensive calculations of PoW and the of PoS. Obyte Obyte's DAG architecture eliminates the need for resource-intensive mining or centralized validation processes potential centralization Regarding energy consumption, Obyte's transactions require only a fraction of the energy used by PoW-based networks like Bitcoin. The exact energy consumption per transaction can vary, but due to its lightweight design, Obyte's energy usage is significantly lower, contributing to a more sustainable and eco-friendly ecosystem. This energy-efficient design positions Obyte as an environmentally conscious choice, aligning with the growing demand for greener alternatives within the cryptocurrency space. From smart contracts and to user-friendly interfaces for customized , Obyte can offer a wide array of features without causing any environmental concerns. human-readable conditional payments token creation Featured Vector Image by Freepik

The Ultimate Guide to Selecting Eco-Friendly Cryptocurrencies and NFTs

La guía definitiva para seleccionar criptomonedas y NFT ecológicas

Le guide ultime pour sélectionner des crypto-monnaies et des NFT respectueux de l'environnement

पर्यावरण-अनुकूल क्रिप्टोकरेंसी और एनएफटी का चयन करने के लिए अंतिम गाइड

環境に優しい暗号通貨とNFTを選択するための究極のガイド

O guia definitivo para selecionar criptomoedas e NFTs ecologicamente corretos

Hướng dẫn cơ bản để chọn tiền điện tử và NFT thân thiện với môi trường

选择环保加密货币和 NFT 的终极指南

The concept of dataism, initially introduced by David Brooks in The New York Times in February 2013, gained momentum through works like Steve Lohr's book "Data-ism" (2015) and Yuval Noah Harari's "Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow" (2016). This emerging trend proposes that data holds unprecedented significance in shaping the future of society, culture, and even spirituality. David Brooks introduced the term " " in a 2013 article titled "The Philosophy of Data." Brooks discussed the increasing influence of data and its interpretation in various aspects of society. His focus was on prompting thoughtful discussions about the implications of an increasingly data-driven world and the potential limitations of relying solely on data to understand human behavior and society. dataism Lohr's work highlights how data is being used to analyze patterns, make predictions, and optimize processes in fields such as business, healthcare, education, and more. He discusses how data-driven technologies like artificial intelligence and machine learning are revolutionizing decision-making and offering new possibilities for understanding complex systems. In "Homo Deus," Harari examines the implications of dataism alongside other possible future scenarios, such as the rise of artificial intelligence, genetic engineering, and biotechnology. His goal is to stimulate thought and discussion about the potential consequences of these developments on human society, culture, and even spirituality. Harari's approach is more analytical and speculative rather than prescriptive, leaving room for readers to form their own opinions about the merits and challenges of dataism and its implications for the future. What is Dataism? Dataism can be seen as a belief system that regards data as the most fundamental and powerful force driving human progress. As we understand more and more from data, decisions will be based more on analyzing data rather than experience and intuition. This means more science and less experience. Bear in mind though, that experience and intuition are in essence huge amounts of data processed by our brains. However, since our brain’s computational power is outperformed by the computational power of machines, science will rely more on machine data rather than the human brain’s data. Dataism suggests that the entire universe can be interpreted as data flows and that all phenomena, including human behavior, can be reduced to data processes. In this worldview, human consciousness, emotions, and creativity are seen as complex algorithms arising from data interactions. Human progress is determined by a single question: How do we generate and process more data and how do we make the most out of it? The good of the data and the good of mankind are supposed to be one and the same. But what if “the good of the data” in some cases happens to be against privacy, security, awareness, and our right to data control and consent? A Snapshot of The Technological Landscape To understand how data affects technology and what drives the need for more and more data I will showcase three technological areas. IoT is a good example of where all that data is coming from. Big data and analytics then come into play to gather and analyze massive amounts of data in a rally toward technological progress. As a final application, AI with ML is also explored. Internet of Things (IoT) refers to a network of interconnected devices, objects, and systems that can communicate, exchange data, and perform actions without direct human intervention. These devices are embedded with sensors, actuators, and communication capabilities, allowing them to collect and transmit data over the Internet or other communication networks. IoT IoT devices are equipped with various types of sensors that can gather data from the physical environment or user interactions. These sensors can capture information such as temperature, humidity, pressure, light levels, motion, location, and more. The data collected by IoT devices is sent to central platforms or cloud-based systems for processing, analysis, and interpretation. Applications include, but are not limited to: Urban Planning IoT data is invaluable for optimising urban infrastructure and city planning. Sensors embedded in traffic lights, parking spaces, waste management systems, and public transportation can provide real-time data on traffic flow, occupancy rates, energy consumption, and environmental conditions. Urban planners can use this data to make informed decisions about traffic management, waste collection routes, and resource allocation. Healthcare Monitoring IoT devices play a significant role in remote healthcare monitoring. Wearable devices, such as fitness trackers and medical sensors, can continuously monitor vital signs, activity levels, and health conditions of patients. This data is transmitted to healthcare providers, enabling early detection of health issues and allowing for timely interventions. Energy Consumption Optimisation IoT-enabled smart meters and sensors can monitor energy consumption patterns in homes, buildings, and industrial facilities. This data can be analyzed to identify opportunities for energy efficiency improvements. Smart thermostats, lighting systems, and appliances can also adjust their operations based on real-time data, reducing energy waste. Agriculture and Environmental Monitoring IoT devices deployed in agricultural settings can monitor soil moisture, temperature, and nutrient levels. This information helps farmers optimize irrigation and fertilization processes, leading to better crop yields. Additionally, IoT sensors can be used for environmental monitoring, such as tracking air and water quality in real-time. Industrial Automation IoT is revolutionizing industrial processes through Industrial IoT (IIoT). Connected sensors and devices in manufacturing environments enable predictive maintenance by monitoring machinery and equipment for signs of wear and tear. This minimizes downtime and reduces maintenance costs. Retail and Supply Chain Management IoT devices in retail environments, such as RFID tags and beacons, enable inventory tracking and management. Retailers can monitor stock levels, track item movement, and optimize shelf placement to improve customer experience and streamline supply chains. Smart Homes IoT devices in smart homes allow residents to control and monitor various aspects of their living spaces remotely. Smart thermostats, door locks, lighting, and entertainment systems can be managed through smartphones, enhancing convenience and energy efficiency. Big Data and analytics The exponential growth of data generated by individuals, businesses, devices, or sensors in various industries has paved the way for big data analytics. It enables insights into consumer behavior, societal trends, and scientific discoveries that were previously unattainable. Big data refers to extremely large and complex datasets that are beyond the capabilities of traditional data processing tools to manage, store, and analyze effectively. These datasets are characterized by the three Vs: The sheer amount of data generated and collected, often ranging from terabytes to petabytes or more. Volume. The speed at which data is generated, collected, and processed in real-time or near-real-time. Velocity. The diverse range of data types and sources including structured, semi-structured, and unstructured data. Variety. Big data analytics refers to the process of extracting valuable insights and patterns from large and complex datasets. Its profound impact on a number of industries can be summarised as follows: Business and Marketing Insights Big data analytics enables businesses to analyze consumer behavior, preferences, and trends. This information can be used to make informed decisions about product development, marketing strategies, and customer engagement. Healthcare and Life Sciences In the healthcare industry, big data analytics can be used to identify disease patterns, predict outbreaks, personalize treatment plans, and discover potential drug candidates. Scientific Research Researchers in various fields can leverage big data analytics to process and analyze vast amounts of data generated by experiments, simulations, and observations. This has led to breakthroughs in fields like genomics, astronomy, and climate science. Smart Cities Urban areas generate a significant amount of data related to transportation, energy consumption, and citizen behavior. Big data analytics can help city planners optimize resource allocation and enhance quality of life. Finance Financial institutions use big data analytics for fraud detection, risk assessment, algorithmic trading, and customer relationship management. Social Sciences Social media and online platforms generate a wealth of data that researchers can analyze to understand societal trends, sentiment analysis, and public opinions. Supply Chain Optimisation Big data analytics can improve supply chain efficiency by analyzing data related to inventory levels, production schedules, and demand patterns. Environmental Monitoring Sensors and data collection devices provide data on environmental factors such as air quality, water levels, and biodiversity. Big data analytics can help monitor and manage ecosystems. Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning AI and machine learning heavily rely on data for training and improvement. These technologies analyze massive datasets to recognize patterns and make predictions, often outperforming human capabilities. The potential for AI to understand and manipulate data could lead to new breakthroughs in various fields. Here are ways that data plays a crucial role: Training Data For AI systems to learn patterns, they need to be exposed to vast amounts of training data. This data is labeled, meaning it is annotated with the correct answers or outcomes. For instance, to teach a machine to recognize cats, it needs to see numerous images of cats along with their labels. Feature Extraction In machine learning, features are the relevant characteristics or attributes of the data that influence the model's predictions. The quality and relevance of features significantly impact the model's performance. AI and ML algorithms automatically extract features from the data to build meaningful representations. Model Building Using the training data, AI/ML algorithms build models that capture the underlying patterns in the data. These models can be decision trees, neural networks, support vector machines, and more. The better the data quality, the more accurate and robust the models become. Generalization Once trained, the models can generalize their learning to new, unseen data. This is a basis for making predictions or classifications on real-world data. The more diverse and representative the training data, the better the model's generalization. Wrapping Up At an individual level data can help people to gain self-insight, improve, and prosper. At a community or company level data is also of paramount importance. Analyzing strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and trends is a data-driven endeavor. At a country level, policies for the country's internals as well as external geopolitical decisions are vastly driven by data. The importance of data cannot be overstated nowadays, and for the years to come. Dataism may be just a thought-provoking idea or it may evolve into an ideology. In any case, as data integrates deeper into society, ethical considerations surrounding data ownership, privacy, and consent become increasingly vital. Regulation across the globe is necessary and frameworks like GDPR and CCPA are a good starting point. Privacy policies, employee and citizen training,  data security measures, user access control and consent mechanisms, data breach response plans, transparency, and ethics initiatives, are things to consider. After all, data should be the tool to achieve goals, not the goal itself.

Dataism: Idea or Ideology?

উপাত্তবাদ: ধারণা বা আদর্শ?

Dataismus: Idee oder Ideologie?

데이터교: 사상인가 이데올로기인가?

Dataizm: Fikir mi, İdeoloji mi?

I did it! It took me about 100 hours, but I was able to write and deploy a real app with ChatGPT’s help. I have since spent another 100 hours or so maintaining and adding features, so turned into a nice full blow passion project. The premise of the experiment was "Can I, as a product manager, who hasn't actively written code for a long time, design, build, and deploy an app an app using ChatGPT?" I have a decent foundation, having done my BS in CS and being around various aspects of technology (system design, development, devops, hosting) but I haven't done hands on development for the past 10+ years. I have a pretty good product sense, translating to an understanding of how to iteratively build products and how to vet the functionality, which I think helped. As is usual with SW development, 80%+ of the time went into troubleshooting and debugging. Why Travel AI In my quest to put something useful together around ChatGPT API, I thought that GPT is uniquely qualified to tackle the problem of travel planning - figuring out places to go, points of interest to hit, itineraries, etc.  There's a lot of decisions to be made when traveling and having someone pull all this together for you based on unique preferences or circumstances, is something that I thought would be valuable. Coding with ChatGPT I spent about 6 weeks on it working nights and a few weekends, maybe a total of 100 hrs. I had ChatGPT+ account, so that gave me better stability when accessing the bot and access to GPT4. Here were my findings through this process: ChatGPT helped me pick the right tools for the job (Vue.js framework for the single-page app) and to crank out the code in iterations.  I definitely couldn't have done it without it.  With that said, there were definitely complications: The limits that ChatGPT UI imposes (4k tokens on input and output and around what looks to be 15k of context) are quite restrictive and you end up doing a lot of segmentation in your questions.  This is less than ideal and takes extra effort.  I had not tried accessing via CLI - just read somewhere that it doesn't impose the same limits - worth checking out. The quality of the "making sense of the code" has been inconsistent - sometimes it does better, and sometimes it does worse.  I'm not sure what it has to do with. With that, my advice would be start structuring the code early (breaking code into smaller functions) as ChatGPT isn't going to automatically do it for you, but it will if you ask it.  It makes troubleshooting easier down the road. GPT4 cuts out after 25 queries over 3 hours and switches you to the "default" model, which I presume is 3.5 - Interestingly it picks up pretty well and I almost want to say it does better than GPT4, but because I didn't start out with 3.5, it's not an apples-to-apples comparison. Update: the limits have been raised recently to 50 queries over 3 hours. Development and Deployment Environments I used Replit for the new-age IDE.  It's a good concept and probably is the future, especially if they can combine it with a meaningful Codex/ChatGPT integration.  The AI that they currently have is not all that useful as it doesn't utilize the code from the project and requires all the same manipulations and back and forth that I was doing with ChatGPT. I really liked how Replit is integrating with Github for source control, however, and how it takes care of the staging. I deployed with Cloudflare as I wanted to deploy as cloud native.  I used CF pages for the UI and a workers for the backend (API gateway).  I liked how the pages were integrating with Github for CICD - that was really cool - basically the app would redeploy itself on any commit to the main branch. In general, CF rocks as it simplifies a ton of networking pain in the ass stuff. Prompt I’ve spent quite a bit of time and done many iterations on the prompt, flushing it out and trying to address idiosyncrasies.  One of the early decision points was whether to have ChatGPT API return a text list that I would then try to make sense of and classify or have it return JSON that already has structure built into it.  The prospect of needing to interpret text data into a structure scared me as the structures were getting more and more complex as I asked for more and more data from ChatGPT (as is evidenced by this snippet) Due to this, I’ve decided to go with prompting ChatGPT for JSON.  This, however, had its own side effects of JSON not always being well structured, or there being too much ambiguity in the prompt, where ChatGPT would return a result that I wasn’t expecting.  I would say I spent close to 25% of the time between prompt fine-tuning and JSON error handling.  It was quite a learning experience.  Ultimately, here’s the prompt I ended up with: SYSTEM_PROMPT = `You are a helpful travel assistant. 
You perform the requests with diligence and make the best attempt to answer the questions, never refusing due to complexity etc. 
Reset the conversation if I mention a new location in my user prompt.

Return the results in JSON format as an array of objects. 
Make sure JSON format is complete and valid and does not include unescaped special characters. 
Please avoid escaping double quotes and instead use single quotes or another method to prevent JSON parsing issues.  
Do not use "\n" newline symbols in the middle of element text.

Each object in the array should have the following keys:
- "title"
- "description"
- "airportCode" (for the destination airport)
- "poi" (array of points of interest)
- "lodging" (array of lodging options)
- "itinerary" (array of objects, each representing a day)
- "considerations"
- "history" (history related to the destination)
- "key_local_phrases" (array of common local phrases)
- "cost"

The "itinerary" key should contain an array of objects, each object representing a day with the key "activities", which is itself an array of objects. 
Each activity object should have the following keys:
- "description"
- "waypoint" (name of the location, not coordinates)
- "cost"
- "travelTime"
- "travelOptions"

If travel is involved within the itinerary, include "Travel To" as part of the daily activity and provide the travel time, travel options, and associated cost. 
Each step in the itinerary should also suggest representative local "food" to try.

Focus on most interesting points of interest, lodging, and activities. Consider activities that are popular, affordable, and recommended by the travelers.

Make sure you cover the entire duration of the trip or outing. 
If it says "week-long", it has to cover the entire week. It's OK to group multiple days or weeks together if it's a longer trip. 
If it doesn't give a timeframe, take a guess based on the nature of a trip.

Considerations should include travel restrictions and visa requirements, typical weather, criminogenic conditions including which areas to avoid, recommendations on visit timing, parking situation, and ways to save on travel costs.

Here is an example of the desired output format:

[
  {
    "title": "Sample Title",
    "description": "Sample Description",
    "airportCode": "XYZ",
    "poi": ["Sample POI1", "Sample POI2"],
    "lodging": ["Sample Lodging1", "Sample Lodging2"],
    "itinerary": [
      {
        "day": "Sample Day 1-2 - City or Place",
        "location": "Wikipedia identifiable name of the place in city,_country or city,_state format",
        "activities": [
          {
            "description": "Sample Activity1",
            "waypoint": "Sample Waypoint1 connected to the activity",
            "cost": "$100",
            "travelTime": "30 minutes",
            "travelOptions": "Taxi or Bus"
          },
          {
            "description": "Sample Activity2",
            "waypoint": "Sample Waypoint2 connected to the activity",
            "cost": "$50",
            "travelTime": "1 hour",
            "travelOptions": "Ferry or Bus"
          }
        ],
        "food": ["Sample Food1 with short description", "Sample Food2 with short description"]
      },
      {
        "day": "Sample Day 3 - City or Place",
        ...
      },
      {
        "week": "Sample Week 2 - City or Place",
        ...
      }
    ],
    "considerations": "Sample considerations text",
    "history": "Sample history text",
    "key_local_phrases": ["Sample phrase 1 - translation", "Sample phrase 2 - translation"],
    "cost": "Sample total cost"
  }
]`; Note: As of the time of this writing, OpenAI just released that I think can be very helpful for making JSON structured data return more robust and consistent. fine-tuning enhancements Wish List The biggest item on my wish list at this point is the dev environment / AI code gen integration.  Pasting things back and forth, looking not to mess up the code structure (especially as the code base gets larger) definitely leaves a lot to be desired. I think the next big step in AI code gen is going to be integrated smart code editors that parse out the code into sections internally and can both provide and accept relevant input to/from the model without making the user do this manually. The next step after that would be integrating with the browser for debugging purposes, ultimately creating a closed-loop iterative debugging cycle. That would be a cool project to work on! Note: I’m curious to see what Google has up their sleeve with the - it might be just that. IDX project Summary Overall, not only was I able to build (what I think is) a useful app, but got spun up on the modern frameworks and got some hands-on time, without drowning in syntax and framework learning, which is exactly what I wanted.  I think it's a big deal and opens up the door to software development for a lot more people. You can find the app at .  The app is and will stay free to use, with no ads, and no logins (thus no use of personal data). VoyageAI.app

How I developed a Travel AI app with ChatGPT as a Product Manager and Non-programmer

প্রোডাক্ট ম্যানেজার এবং নন-প্রোগ্রামার হিসেবে ChatGPT-এর সাথে আমি কীভাবে একটি ট্রাভেল এআই অ্যাপ তৈরি করেছি

Wie ich als Produktmanager und Nicht-Programmierer eine Reise-KI-App mit ChatGPT entwickelt habe

Cómo desarrollé una aplicación Travel AI con ChatGPT como gerente de producto y no programador

Comment j'ai développé une application Travel AI avec ChatGPT en tant que chef de produit et non-programmeur

एक उत्पाद प्रबंधक और गैर-प्रोग्रामर के रूप में मैंने चैटजीपीटी के साथ एक ट्रैवल एआई ऐप कैसे विकसित किया

プロダクト マネージャーで非プログラマーとして ChatGPT を使用して Travel AI アプリを開発した方法

프로그래머가 아닌 제품 관리자로서 ChatGPT를 사용하여 여행 AI 앱을 개발한 방법

Como desenvolvi um aplicativo Travel AI com ChatGPT como gerente de produto e não programador

Ürün Yöneticisi ve Programcı Olmayan Bir Kişi Olarak ChatGPT ile Travel AI uygulamasını nasıl geliştirdim?

Cách tôi phát triển ứng dụng AI du lịch với ChatGPT với tư cách là Người quản lý sản phẩm và Người không phải là lập trình viên

作为产品经理和非程序员，我如何使用 ChatGPT 开发旅行 AI 应用程序

The digital world is growing, and surveillance is growing with it. Governments, companies, and even other individuals are now pretty capable of following our virtual steps —including the financial ones. That’s why a group of activists emerged in the late 20th century with a mission to safeguard individual liberties through the development of decentralized money. The term "cypherpunk" is a blend of "cypher," referring to cryptography, and "punk," which reflects their rebellious and nonconformist nature. So, they’re mostly computer science and cryptography experts aiming to create new digital tools to foster privacy and social change. These activists, known as cypherpunks, laid the groundwork for the creation and popularization of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. The movement gained momentum in the 1980s and 1990s as individuals concerned about the increasing surveillance and control of digital communications and transactions sought ways to counteract these trends. We can say it started with , an American cryptographer who is widely recognized for inventing the first forms of digital cash —no, it wasn’t Satoshi Nakamoto alone. David Chaum A prolific mailing list The first started in 1992 as an initiative by Eric Hughes, Timothy C. May, John Gilmore, and Judith Milhon. For more references, Hughes invented the first anonymous remailer (a server to increase privacy in emails), and May discovered the issue in computer chips. Gilmore is one of the founders of the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) to defend digital rights. For her part, Milhon helped to create the first public computerized bulletin board system, besides being a writer and editor (she coined the “Cypherpunks” name). Cypherpunk mailing list Alpha Strike which describes the main purpose of the group and this kind of activism: In 1993, Hughes wrote and shared the , Cypherpunk Manifesto “Privacy is necessary for an open society in the electronic age (…) We cannot expect governments, corporations, or other large, faceless organizations to grant us privacy (…) We must defend our own privacy if we expect to have any (…) Cypherpunks write code. We know that someone has to write software to defend privacy, and (…) we're going to write it.” The number of subscribers to the list (and, likely, to the movement) reached over 2,000 individuals by 1997. But this isn’t the reason why we’re stating that the mailing list was prolific. From this mailing list and this ideal came up numerous talented people that developed a diverse set of digital tools to fight for privacy. To name a few of them: Julian Assange (WikiLeaks), Adam Back (Hashcash & Blockstream), Eric Blossom (GNU Radio Project), Phil Zimmerman (PGP Protocol), Bram Cohen (BitTorrent & Chia), Hal Finney (First Proof-of-Work), Nick Szabo (First Smart Contracts), Wei Dai (B-Money), Zooko Wilcox (Zcash), and, of course, Satoshi Nakamoto (Bitcoin). Most of them are still alive and active in 2023. Before and after Bitcoin One of the most significant contributions of cypherpunks was their role in conceptualizing and promoting the idea of decentralized digital currencies. Influenced by the works of cryptographic pioneers like David Chaum, who introduced the concept of "e-cash," and Wei Dai, who proposed the idea of "b-money," cypherpunks envisioned a system where money could be transferred electronically without the need for intermediaries. This vision laid the foundation for the creation of Bitcoin, the first and most well-known cryptocurrency. As we mentioned above, Nakamoto didn’t do it all by themselves. The process was more like putting together puzzle pieces: Hal Finney’s PoW, some features from e-cash, Hashcash, and b-money, public-key cryptography by Ralph Merkle, and time-stamping by W.S. Stornetta and Stuart Haber. Finally, in 2008, Nakamoto published the . It describes a peer-to-peer electronic cash system that utilized cryptographic techniques to secure transactions and maintain a public ledger. The principles of decentralization, pseudonymity, and cryptographic security closely aligned with the cypherpunk ideals, making Bitcoin the first realization of their vision. Bitcoin whitepaper Decentralization didn’t stop there though. A DAG-based cryptosystem like doesn’t have miners or intermediaries at all. It doesn’t have blocks, either. Only Order Providers (OPs) whose transactions serve as waypoints for ordering everything else —but they don’t have other powers and aren’t needed to “accept” transactions, like Bitcoin miners. By eliminating such big power centers as miners, . Directed Acyclic Graph (DAG) systems are the . next step of decentralization Obyte DAG achieves more even distribution of power than blockchains Cypherpunks' visionary contributions formed the puzzle of cryptocurrency evolution. Bitcoin's whitepaper, embracing decentralization and cryptographic security, materialized cypherpunk ideals. As technology advances, like Obyte emerge, furthering decentralization without middlemen. DAG systems Featured Vector Image by jcomp / Freepik

Cypherpunks: The Activists Behind Decentralized Money

Cypherpunks: los activistas detrás del dinero descentralizado

Cypherpunks : les activistes derrière l'argent décentralisé

साइफरपंक्स: विकेंद्रीकृत धन के पीछे के कार्यकर्ता

サイファーパンク: 分散型マネーの背後にある活動家

Cypherpunks: os ativistas por trás do dinheiro descentralizado

Cypherpunks: Các nhà hoạt động đằng sau tiền phi tập trung

密码朋克：去中心化货币背后的活动家

A crypto-DAG platform is a type of distributed ledger used for managing transactions in cryptocurrencies. Unlike blockchains, it uses a Directed Acyclic Graph (DAG) structure, where each transaction references previous ones, creating a more decentralized system —without miners or other middlemen. is one of such platforms. Obyte However, amidst the benefits lie concerns about security vulnerabilities and the potential for hacking attempts. We’ll make here a quick overview of the security landscape of crypto-DAG platforms, exploring the measures in place to safeguard user funds and data. By understanding the risks and challenges associated with these innovative systems, users can make informed decisions while participating in the crypto-DAG ecosystem. DAG vs Blockchains (for hackers) So, maybe you’re wondering which system is the safest: It completely depends on the specific network. Both DAGs and blockchains have their unique security strengths and weaknesses, and their safety depends on how well they are designed, implemented, and maintained. a DAG or a blockchain? Well, the truth is that there’s no one-size-fits-all answer. However, a DAG like Obyte can mitigate some of the security risks already present in numerous blockchains. like transaction censorship, double-spending (spending the same coins more than once), Sybil attacks (rogue nodes colluding to damage the network), and 51% attacks (the majority of miners or validators colluding to control the network) are ever-present risks in any blockchain. Not to mention the quite common smart contract vulnerabilities, from which hackers have stolen billions. Potential attacks On the other hand, not all DAGs are the same, but they share an important feature: . Every transaction is intertwined with the previous one and the next one, forming a graph along the way. No miner or block producer (misleadingly called “validator”) is needed to approve or reject transactions: once it’s created by any user, it’s included in the DAG. So, things like censorship aren’t possible. they’re block-less chains, without miners or powerful validators-approvers Other threats Now, to avoid double-spending and Sybil attacks, Obyte has (previously called witnesses). These providers, who are typically well-respected individuals or companies, create transactions like everyone else and these transactions serve as waypoints for ordering all other transactions. In return, they get a portion of the transaction fees, but that shouldn’t be the main purpose of an Order Provider. Order Providers They are selected for this role by the community among the respectable members of the community who have a lot to lose if they misbehave. They can’t decide which transactions are approved or not, and they can’t double-spend money. And, unlike miners or “validators” in blockchains, they don’t have a lot of power themselves. Basically, the only thing they can do if they collude is stop the network, until a new network with a new set of Order Providers is restarted from the point where the old network stopped. They were selected by the community itself to begin with, so, the same community can take the role away. They’d lose their reputation as individuals or businesses, and be excluded from the network. No one can buy the right to control a decentralized DAG. What about the IOTA hack? IOTA is another crypto-DAG ledger that is infamous for an attack that happened in 2020. Hackers stole 8.5 million in IOTA's native token MIOTA directly from users —approximately $2 million at the time. That raised distrust against DAG-based systems, but the thing is, Instead, the hackers exploited a feature in the IOTA wallet Trinity that allowed users to purchase MIOTA with fiat money through MoonPay — a third-party fiat-to-crypto gateway. the DAG itself wasn’t hacked back then. T he attackers to replace legit code from the MoonPay API with malicious code. That compromised all the Trinity Wallet downloads between December 17, 2019, and February 17, 2020. Once users entered their seed phrases (private keys) into the compromised wallets, the attackers gained access to their funds and could transfer them to their own accounts. managed The IOTA Foundation suspended the network for several weeks to avoid further losses, and the founder promised the affected users himself. Sadly, this was a third-party vulnerability that could’ve happened to any distributed ledger platform (blockchain or DAG). (which was possible because the network was, and still is, utterly centralized) to refund What can you do to protect your funds? Being aware of the risks is the first step. The second is to protect your private keys at all costs. Seeing the IOTA case, it’s advisable to distribute your funds into several wallets and diminish third-party services when possible —especially from your main wallet. A third step is to always pay attention to the latest news about the distributed ledgers you participate in. If there’s some kind of issue, the team will announce it quickly through public channels to mitigate damages. One potential weak point in any decentralized system, including , is the human factor. The security of phishing attempts (impersonation), or if they share their private keys or recovery phrases with malicious actors. Users must be vigilant and cautious, not only regarding their interactions with the network but also in safeguarding their own authentication details. Obyte users' funds can be compromised if individual users fall victim to social engineering attacks (frauds), Don’t forget that we already talked about and how common work. To protect your funds, don’t make it easy for hackers and scammers! protecting your private keys in Obyte crypto scams Featured Vector Image by Freepik

Is a Crypto-DAG Platform Vulnerable to Hacking? Understanding the Security Risks

¿Es una plataforma Crypto-DAG vulnerable a la piratería? Comprender los riesgos de seguridad

Une plate-forme Crypto-DAG est-elle vulnérable au piratage ? Comprendre les risques de sécurité

क्या क्रिप्टो-डीएजी प्लेटफॉर्म हैकिंग के प्रति संवेदनशील है? सुरक्षा जोखिमों को समझना

Crypto-DAG プラットフォームはハッキングに対して脆弱ですか?セキュリティリスクを理解する

Uma plataforma Crypto-DAG é vulnerável a hackers? Entendendo os riscos de segurança

Nền tảng Crypto-DAG có dễ bị tấn công không? Hiểu các rủi ro bảo mật

Crypto-DAG 平台容易受到黑客攻击吗？了解安全风险

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