Gatenox wants to simplify the process of onboarding corporate clients into the digital economy This article will divided into 5 parts: The Problem, The Solution, The Team, The Integrations, Partnerships & Roadmap, and The Conclusion, so make sure to begin from the start (The Problem) before moving on to the other parts. The Problem: In today's environment, the crypto industry has seen not only many success stories of its own over the past 10+ years, but many failures and challenges that it must address and solve, and one of those problems is compliance in web3. The way that compliance is being treated in web3, such as the current KYC and AML processes, is ineffective as it fails to keep track of any criminal/fraudulent activity, terrorist financing, and money laundering that’s happening on-chain, and it fails to help onboard and verify new customers and corporate clients without a streamlined and secure KYC process. However, it doesn’t only happen over here in the crypto industry. According to Gatenox’s ‘About’ page on their website: “For traditional finance, the compliance process is estimated to cost businesses around or over billions of dollars, and can even add up to 6–10% of an organization’s revenue, which businesses aren’t a fan of. Due to this, the client onboarding process remains unnecessarily convoluted, it creates frictions that have an impact on trade and commerce, and businesses are now desperately seeking to find an alternative solution that doesn’t cost them as much to onboard new customers.” On top of that, current traditional compliance tools are becoming increasingly outdated and unable to keep up with the dynamic nature and the rapidly evolving pace of the blockchain industry. As such, there is an increasing need for effective and secure solutions that help businesses navigate the intricate landscape of regulatory compliance and verification in decentralized / web3 business environments. Taking all of the information above into account, the current solutions for the onboarding of new corporate clients and organizations aren’t designed for the needs and wants of a web3 future, and integrating with its core infrastructure makes any advantages non-existent. As a consequence, they’re lacking in the efficiency and ease of use of the onboarding process as well as the adoption of new privacy standards. Gatenox is making compliance in web3 more streamlined and secure so that it can allow the onboarding of corporate partners and organizations for any web3 project easier. The Solution: To put it simply, Gatenox is a compliance and verification hub that appeals to corporate clients and organizations via its AML and KYC solutions due to the increasing demand for corporate KYC that is needed in the rapidly growing and evolving world of web3 and DeFi. If you thinking as to why you should use Gatenox for your onboarding solutions, here’s what Gatenox has to say; they can reduce the onboarding time from 2 months to just 1 click, they can streamline their compliance processes for over 330M potential customers in over 192 jurisdictions, they can increase your customer base with access to over 900 leading web3 projects, and can even secure new customers by spending up to 90% less time on verification! Gatenox describes its values below: Scalable - To reduce the time spent by both client and compliance teams, Gatenox will ensure that a fast onboarding process will help them scale. Security - To protect user data from malicious actors, Gatenox is devoted to maintaining ironclad privacy and security standards across its platform. Simplicity - For the corporate KYC process to be streamlined, Gatenox will develop user-friendly solutions to appeal to its clients. Transparency - Gatenox believes in the sentiment of web3, and so they will adhere to the principles of it by allowing full transparency on the platform. Gatenox currently has 3 products that it has developed for its corporate partners and customers, which are: Gatenox Hub: The Gatenox Hub has been designed from the ground up to make the corporate KYC process easier for both verifiers and their customers. The below points are what it includes: Compliance Cloud, which has an ownership graph, UBO discovery, web3-native risk assessments, screening and real-time monitoring, direct customer communications, an audit trail, team KYC, and even AI-assisted corporate KYC. ID Node, which includes one-click onboarding, an onboarding wizard, optimization for any device, web3-compatibility, and data security (compliant with GDPR, SOC2 & ISO27001). Gatenox API, which gives real-time notifications, automated account creation, data downloads, and risk factor updates. The Gatenox API will even be expanded to include HubSpot, Salesforce, other CRMs, and various platforms as integrations with Gatenox’s system. Blockchain Analytics: Gatenox’s Blockchain Analytics feature can allow for effective transaction screening that gives businesses access to monitor transactions and wallets for up to 1,383,000 crypto assets with precision and efficiency (up to 98% of the market which is industry-leading), it can issue transaction reports that can calculate the full risk of up to 33,000 blockchain entities’ addresses and transactions of multiple inputs and outputs, and can also issue AML risk reports that allow you to download detailed PDF’s for crafting SAR’s & knowing client risk exposure (standard & enhanced). KYC Individuals: Gatenox describes this as their AI-powered individual KYC feature, and it allows for a seamless onboarding process that can all be done in just 35 seconds, and it only asks for minimal information like a government-issued ID as well as a selfie. It can verify up to 12,200 different government-issued IDs across 250+ countries and territories and can cover up to 138 language variations. Gatenox has also got you covered if you want to onboard retail customers high net-worth individuals, or you want to dive deep into corporate KYC processes involving directors and UBOs. Not to mention that this is all as easy as 1,2 and 3! Just take a photo of yourself as well as your government-issued ID, then Gatenox’s AI will scan and verify the IDs, which it can do for any business globally, and finally, in just 35 seconds, your business can move forward with a verified and secure onboarding process. In terms of revenue for the platform and the business itself, Gatenox has released 3 different pricing options ‘Corporate’, ‘Platform’, & ‘Enterprise’, and each one has its benefits and advantages depending on which option a business wants to choose from (you can see them in the image below). If you want to view the pricing of these options, you can contact the Gatenox team and they’ll explain and show the pricing for the option that you’re interested in purchasing. Finally, Gatenox is currently providing the chance for corporate clients and organizations to book a demo of the Gatenox platform if they have displayed their interest in using it for their future operations, and can let you go live on the platform once they get everything set up for you and if you have paid for one of the 3 pricing options of your choice. The Team: Gatenox’s team is located in the city of London (you can find their official location at the end of their website), and is made up of individuals who have more than 10 years of experience, skills, and knowledge in the finance, legal, tech and blockchain/crypto industries. Because of this, it makes them more suited and well capable of developing a compliance and verification platform to onboard corporate clients and organizations that display their interest in entering the digital economy. Below, you can find the list of individuals that make up the team at Gatenox: Pawel Kuskowski (Co-founder & CEO): Pawel serves as the co-founder and CEO at Gatenox. In terms of his background, he has experience in compliance, analytics, and SaaS development. He also was the co-founder and CEO at Coinfirm and has led the blockchain analytics firm through Seed, ICO, and Series A and B funding with remarkable success. Before working in web3, he served as the Global Head of AML for the Royal Bank of Scotland. If you would like to see more of Pawel's work, here's his LinkedIn profile. Wojciech Zatorski (Co-founder & COO): Wojciech serves as the co-founder and COO at Gatenox and has around 20 years of experience as a leader in mobile and enterprise architecture. On top of that, he also has built multiple startups that have been acquired by Mastercard, such as the Central European mobile payment system ‘BLIK’. If you would like to see more of Wojciech's work, here's his LinkedIn profile. Carol Van Cleef (Advisor & Head of Industry Liaison for US Markets): Carol serves as the advisor & head of industry liaison for US markets at Gatenox, and she has personally worked as a Forbes “50 over 50” AML and compliance lawyer and consultant. For her other experiences, she chaired a blockchain and digital assets practice called ‘Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP’ that provides guidance related to digital assets, has worked as a director at a company called BTCS, and also sits on the board of the Travel Rule Information Sharing Alliance (TRISA). If you would like to see more of Carol's work, here's her LinkedIn profile. Raf Demczuk (Advisor & Head of Regulatory Affairs for UK and International): Raf serves as the advisor & head of regulatory affairs for the UK and international at Gatenox, and since he also has experience as a high-value litigation expert, his practice ranges from compliance to IP, and more recently, digital assets. Other than that, he has also advised HNI investment groups on technology and is a part of the Smart Data Think Tank. If you want to know more about Gatenox and their team, make sure to head over to the References section of this article, where you can find their LinkedIn page. The Integrations, Partnerships & Roadmap: In terms of partnerships, Gatenox has successfully been accepted into Aleph Zero’s EFP and has both been in a partnership ever since April 2022. To add to this, they have also achieved two major technical milestones from the EFP, which was announced in September 2023. The first milestone is that they’ve seamlessly integrated their hub with the Aleph Zero blockchain as well as the AZERO ecosystem, including different Dapps and DEXs. Because of this, every ecosystem project building on Aleph Zero can now access and verify corporate credentials directly through the Gatenox Hub, ensuring authenticity and trustworthiness. Moreover, to guarantee that any public address interacting with the Aleph Zero blockchain is verifiably associated with a known identity, Gatenox will allow companies and individual users to prove ownership of their AZERO wallet by linking them directly to their real-world identity/government-issued ID. Not only that, but an additional and upcoming feature is the ability to add whitelisted addresses that have successfully undergone the Corporate KYC check and soon to enable ZK-Proof corporate DIDs, which further enhances the security and trust within the AZERO ecosystem. Furthermore, the second milestone is that they’ve also come out and said that they’re expanding their capabilities and services into Asia and the Middle East. And what they mean by that is that they’re integrating additional data sources from prominent web3 hubs, including Singapore, Switzerland, Dubai, and many more. This makes their total coverage encompass over 550 million companies (including China), allowing them to offer more detailed information on companies from a specific region and automating more of the corporate onboarding process. These milestones have been marked as a major step forward in their joint mission to enhance the security, transparency, and efficiency of the digital economy. Not only are they partnered with Aleph Zero, but they’ve also signed partnerships and integrations with Near Protocol, Coinfirm (Pawel was the co-founder and CEO of this), MWEK Solutions, AZERO.ID, and SMART-compliance GmbH. Gatenox has successfully secured more than 5 partnerships and integrations for their platform. The Conclusion: In conclusion, Gatenox is a compliance and verification platform that wants to achieve in making the onboarding process of corporate clients and organizations streamlined and easier when they want to participate in the digital economy. With their recent achievements, like integrating their hub with the Aleph Zero blockchain and its ecosystem projects as well as expanding their business to other regions such as Asia and the Middle East, they will, without a doubt, lead in the KYC solution space and have the opportunity to have some amazing corporate partners onboard with them and let them utilize Gatenox’s efficient and streamlined platform. If you want to learn more about Gatenox, then go visit their website, educational blog site, LinkedIn page, and YouTube channel (all found in the References list below), and don’t forget to join their socials if you haven’t as well! References: Website - https://gatenox.com/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@gatenox/featured Twitter/X - https://twitter.com/gatenox LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/gatenox Blog - https://gatenox.com/blog/

(And yes, if you read the title correctly, it's a direct nod to the classic video game title Halo: Combat Evolved) Before starting this, this article will be comprised of 6 parts: The Problem, The Solution, The Tokenomics, The Team, and The Conclusion. So make sure to start from the beginning (The Problem) to understand initially what Panjea is trying to solve. With that out of the way, let’s begin with the first part. The Problem: With the social media we see now, platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, Twitch, YouTube, and so on, only seek to strengthen their grip on the creative space, without taking into consideration developing a new model that works best for everyone and not just for the few. I think we all know that these platforms are notorious for collecting user data to sell for a profit to third parties that want to advertise products that you don’t even want. They’re a shell of what they used to be when they first started, and instead, they’ve been plagued by an evil parasite (corporate greed) that’s been corrupting them for years. Not only that, but current platforms have also taken a massive toll on Gen Z to be exact, ranging from mental health issues to financial problems. Heck, scientists have even come out with studies about TikTok and its dangers, and how a Goldfish has more of an attention span than Gen Z, which immediately rings an alarm in anyone’s head. Another problem that most people can see on all of these platforms is that the little guy is hardly even recognized due to a small number of influencers taking a massive amount of control of the sites and manipulating the algorithm, pushing useless drama and content down our throats, which we feed on like seagulls, craving for the next useless piece of content every time we log on. Not only that but these influencers get paid exuberant amounts of money when doing this, while the little guy who wants to share their creative work gets little to no views and gets paid nothing for their work. I’ve seen this all happen on sites like YouTube and Twitch, where the biggest influencers have a bigger following, and get paid massive amounts of money (if you’ve seen the infamous Twitch hack back in October 2021, you’d know what I mean), and get to push their influence on the younger generations’ minds — not allowing them to reach their full potential. Because of this, the majority of users on these platforms who want to show their creative work get little to no views, fail to get a following whatsoever and hardly get paid a dime for their efforts. Finally, bots and censorship is the most important issue that everyone wishes could be gone forever. Bots have also been a huge problem on these sites, crawling from the depths of the internet and spreading scams and phishing links that can lead to anyone’s sensitive data being stolen and used against their own will if they are not careful when traversing on one of these platforms. It's relatively easy for bad actors to start an account without any KYC on some of these social media sites and then they can begin scamming anyone they target. When these social media platforms first began, censorship was hardly even a problem because the founders and team allowed their users to express their creative interest and their personal opinions about the world we see today. However, once these platforms were sold out to tech conglomerates like Google, Amazon, and Meta, that’s where censorship began to dig its roots into these sites and spread across the internet, mass banning users from spreading misinformation or information that these corporations/governments don’t want to be seen by the general public (like how Twitter banned Donald Trump from the platform for telling his followers that the election was rigged and that he won the 2020 election, which controversially lead to the Jan 6 Capital Riots in 2021 at the U.S. Capital building in Washington, DC). Now I know what you’re thinking: what if there’s another way, where we can steer away from these problems and allow the little guy to not only get a chance to find their home on the internet but also get paid for their creative work? What if there is a way where corporations don’t collect data for profit and don’t censor us for expressing our own opinions? What if there is another way to reduce the amount of bots that are plaguing the platforms we see today? Panjea. Just Be Yourself The Solution: Panjea is a blockchain-based content network that's building on Aleph Zero in hopes of revolutionizing the internet today with a new business model that proves worthy for anyone who has creative talent/interest and wants to show anyone what they’re capable of. To quote themselves on their ‘About’ page: “It gives artists a home and a sustainable lifestyle — where their creativity and the attention it attracts can be promoted without judgement”. Without a doubt, it is very exciting to see what Panjea has been doing in the background, especially with the most recent announcements about their development on the social media platform, including having a PoC MVP / beta launch of Panjea nearly ready (as of writing 17/10/2023) and some product shots even included! They created the Panjea network to correct many of the problems that have arisen from web 2.0 social media platforms (as discussed in ‘The Problem’ section), such as: Not collecting any form of data on user behaviour Content does not have to be backed by adverts Their network is free from advertiser rules Finally, there is no centralized control Because of this, everything on Panjea is run, moderated, and most importantly owned by their users. The most vital function Panjea has to offer is curation, where rather than simply relying on an algorithm to show users the content that best fulfils the aims of the network and not the user base, the users are free to generate their links — building the network around what they think is useful, pertinent and interesting. Panjea is owned by nobody, can be used by everyone, and benefits everybody. Panjea utilizes a nodal framework to connect similar content. What this means is that users can upload multiple media/seed types to any point in the network. These seed types include: Text: Pure text post (would be for book chapters or similar) Text and Graphic(s): Like a medium article, where you can add simple layout structures and add text and images Music: Add single songs Album(s): Add a selection of songs Video(s): A video page (e.g., YouTube / Rumble) Playlist(s): Links to existing music seeds Curated List(s): Links to existing content seeds Game(s): This would load whitelisted games to load inside a div Chat room(s): A standard multi-person chat room and user list Unlike other comparative products, Panjea has an inbuilt economy, where all users must pay monthly basic subscription fees that are paid in the PANJ token and are fixed in USD to get onto the network, and any creator must pay to upload media or curate the network. But don’t fret, 90% of this value is returned to the creators from the daily rewards pool (more on this later in this section). Panjea also is in the works to implement its own KYC verification system called PoL (Proof-of-Life), which all users must successfully pass to be accepted onto the network. They believe the PoL system will become a vital function of Panjea, assuring its user base that they are not dealing with information proliferated by bots or untrusted sources — and even in the future, assuring its users that each contact is human and verified. However, if you stop subscribing, you’ll lose access to Panjea, and whilst Panjea can be linked from other sites, there’s still a need for users to be subscribed to see what’s going on behind the closed doors. Every 24 hours, Panjea automatically generates a reward pool of coins that is distributed back to the contributors: If a creator’s content is viewed, they get paid If a creator’s content is linked, they get paid If a network node processes content viewing, it gets paid If engineers design new ways to view and explore content, they get paid If a creator remixes, takes inspiration from, or re-edits existing content, they get paid Creators can earn revenue through multiple channels within the 24-hour rewards cycle: Through every single view: Forget likes, endorsements, and shares. Content creators on Panjea are paid a set amount of PANJ for every single view/play. Through content curation: Panjea isn’t about algorithms. Users are free to increase the prominence of any piece of content by spawning or strengthening links, thereby increasing the potential engagement and taking a share of the content reward pool. Through incentivized liquidity pools: To decouple Panjea’s reliance on centralized exchanges (CEXs), they will instead offer incentivized liquidity pool rewards during the first 4 years of expansion. The Tokenomics: Above are the detailed Tokenomics that the team has designed to benefit the Panjea ecosystem for the long term. Here’s a breakdown: Total Supply: 100,000,000 PANJ — This is the total/max supply of the PANJ token (PANJ being the ticker symbol), where the supply can NEVER exceed 100m. After the 4 year distribution period, the daily rewards can be funded when the ecosystem is in its expansion phase. Also, the greater the no. of PANJ burned through content updates and subscriptions, the larger the reward pool available for daily reward emissions. Oh, and also, every single transaction within the Panjea network from subscriptions to posting content burns PANJ. Thus, PANJ is then subsequently emitted to reward creators, curators and pay coin lotteries. 5% (5M) Private Sale: 25% will be unlocked at Genesis, and 75% will be vested linearly over 1 year. Any unsold tokens will be burned. 10% (10M) Public Sale: 50% will be unlocked at Genesis, and 50% will be vested linearly over 6 months. Again, all unsold tokens will be subsequently burned. 15% (15M) Team: The team allocation will be vested linearly over 3 years. 5% (5M) Ecosystem Fund: This includes 2M to be unlocked at Genesis to seed liquidity pools and launch network costs (IPFS fees), while the rest (3M) will be vested in a 2-year timeframe. 5% (5M) Strategic Partners: This allocation will be vested over 2 years. 5% (5M) Marketing Partners: For this allocation, 1M is to be unlocked at Genesis to onboard high-quality content, while the rest (4M) will be vested over 2 years. 5% (5M) Reserve, Security & Bug Bounties Fund: This will be vested over 2 years. 10% (10M) Liquidity Providers: This allocation is designed for on-site coin swaps, and it’ll be vested over 4 years (4M for 1st year, 3M for 2nd year, 2M for 3rd year, and 1M for 4th year). 40% (40M) Daily reward Pool: Finally, this one has a bigger allocation to greatly reward its creators, and the curators, and to pay for coin lotteries. This will be vested over 4 years (16M for 1st year, 12M for 2nd year, 8M for 3rd year, and 4M for 4th year). 10% of the Daily Reward Pool goes to the Ecosystem Fund, while 90% of the Daily Reward Pool is split between viewed content on the platform. The Team: The team at Panjea consists of 12 staunch developers and workers located in the UK, who are building the platform from the ground up to make it the best version of itself once they release it to the internet. Here are the founders of Panjea (also included their LinkedIn accounts if you would like to see their other works): Kieron Bain (Creative Director): Kieron is the Creative Director and the CEO & co-founder at Panjea and is a long-time content creator and an internet theorist. He’s worked extensively for a couple of social media platforms before surprisingly taking a career in music journalism, curating, and writing for one of the leading UK festival sites. He also became a brand narrative specialist in 2015 (the same year that Simon Roddis became his business partner!), leading projects for household brands and technology sites. Kieron initially started Panjea in 2019 with Luke Jobling, sketching the ideas and concepts of what the platform can be. If you would like to know more about Kieron's work, here's his LinkedIn profile. Simon Roddis (Brand Director): Simon is the Brand Director and the 2nd co-founder at Panjea and is a skilled and accomplished design professional with a long-time career working on international brands. He’s responsible for the creative direction of campaigns for businesses ranging from global leaders to business start-ups. Being passionate about minimal, symbolic design and functional UI, Simon has both built the Panjea brand and the front-end design for the initial app. If you would like to know more about Simon's work, here's his LinkedIn profile. Luke Jobling (Managing Director): Luke is the Lead Technologist Managing Director and the 3rd co-founder at Panjea, with a multi-discipline career stretching over finance, payments, and gaming. He most notably built the fully functioning platform and architecture for one of the UK’s leading gaming brands and has contributed proprietary RGS solutions for world-renowned providers. Here are some of his achievements: Becoming a CTO level for 11 years, Successfully managed 4 start-ups, Has managed tech delivery teams of 50 IT professionals, and Has great enterprise-level expertise. If you would like to know more about Luke's work, here's his LinkedIn profile. Lee Kerr (Technical Director): Lee is the 4th co-founder and Technical Director at Panjea and is a true Crypto OG and a passionate blockchain enthusiast. He stumbled upon crypto whilst working in a career in web development and design and ever since then, he has become a devoted advocate of decentralized economies and information systems. He’s also an initial investor in Panjea and has deployed the key network connections with the Aleph Zero network. If you would like to know more about Lee's work, here's his LinkedIn profile. The Conclusion: This article contains a lot for you to take in, and since I didn’t want to lengthen this article too much, I wasn’t able to go through everything else here (like the roadmap, how Panjea compares to its competitors, and so on). However, if you wish to know more about Panjea and its technology, go download their Litepaper and Whitepaper to get a deeper technical understanding of it, or go through their 5-part explainer series on their Medium account, which I’ve linked all articles of it below. Also, if you would like to get the latest developments from Panjea themselves (as well as some words of wisdom), consider subscribing to their waiting list on their website (at the top and bottom of their site) at https://panjea.io/. References: Website - https://panjea.io/ Twitter / X - https://twitter.com/Panjea_io Medium - https://medium.com/@panjea_io Telegram - https://t.me/panjea_io Discord - https://discord.com/invite/YY87K2PyfQ Explainer Part 1 - https://medium.com/@panjea_io/what-is-panjea-f4e05a8bc8f Explainer Part 2 - https://medium.com/@panjea_io/shaping-the-network-how-is-panjea-curated-de36aab62a2d Explainer Part 3 - https://medium.com/@panjea_io/got-viewed-get-paid-panjea-tokenomics-basic-edition-8387a769171d Explainer Part 4 - https://medium.com/@panjea_io/pool-your-resources-decentralised-finance-and-panjea-c677c2c10d07 Explainer Part 5 - https://medium.com/@panjea_io/i-bring-you-the-future-dreams-visions-and-reflections-9a4fc55694e6

21X is on a mission to become the very 1st regulated European DLT Exchange This article will divided into 5parts: The Problem, The Solution, The Team, The Partnerships & Roadmap, and The Conclusion, so make sure to begin from the start (The Problem) before moving on to the other parts. The Problem: For us all in crypto, I think we can agree that, without a doubt, the problems with most exchanges today seem to mostly be around the risk of hacks and security, lack of liquidity, regulation, and so on. Ever since the collapse of Terra (LUNA) back in May 2022, numerous crypto exchanges were collapsing, like BlockFi, 3AC, Celsius, and more because these exchanges were not regulated and secure enough to protect customers' assets and were never held accountable for anything going wrong, and even worse, they were caught using customers funds to withdraw these assets for themselves and squeeze the liquidity from the exchanges dry. Below is the list of problems that most crypto exchanges face today: Issues with Security and Hacks - Every security hack and breach is frequent in the crypto industry and, in all honestly, is very frightening for any user joining a new exchange. This is most concerning for every crypto exchange because it implies that any user's personal information may and can be stolen or compromised for the hacker's benefit. In addition to this, any kind of fraud and scams that cause users to lose life-changing money must be addressed to safeguard those who invest in coins. The solutions to this can be 2FA and cold storage, but the mitigation of hacks and stronger security need to first be addressed and solved if any exchange wants to attract any retail or institutional customers. The Slow Process of Regulation - As we’ve all seen with the debacle with the SEC and the regulation of crypto, applying existing regulatory frameworks to digital assets, or developing new ones, is challenging for several reasons. First and foremost, the crypto industry is evolving at a rapid movement, meaning that regulators are now struggling to acquire any new talents and learn the skills of every aspect of the crypto space to keep pace, given the stretched resources and many other priorities. Also, the process of monitoring the crypto markets is difficult because the data is always fluctuating, and regulators find it a little tricky to keep any tabs on thousands of actors/users who may not be subject to typical disclosure or reporting requirements. The Issues with Liquidity - Lastly, market liquidity is crucial and is of utmost importance for several reasons, as it affects how quickly investors can initiate and close their positions. Since there is always a user who’s prepared to take the opposing side of a particular position, a liquid market is often linked with lower risk. Thus, this might draw in speculators and investors, enhancing the market’s favourable conditions. The issue with centralised exchanges (CEXs) is that they enable more than 90% of all transactions in crypto, further suggesting that they are solely responsible for the vast majority of trading activity. However, on the other hand, decentralized exchanges (DEXs) sometimes lack the proper liquidity due to a lack of volume, thereby making it challenging to locate buyers and sellers when trading volumes are low. There’s also the problem with server lag times at exchanges and the other technical issues/concerns are worsening. As a result, these issues threaten the continued operation of exchanges with a decreasing user base. With all of these issues in mind, regulation and stricter rulings certainly need to be in place for these exchanges to run legitimately, offer digital assets to customers to retail and institutions legally, and be held accountable for anything that can go wrong. At 21X, regulating and listing digital assets such as securities, bonds, and funds are of the utmost importance when wanting to attract mass adoption and run a legitimate exchange. The Solution: In simple terms, 21X is building a DLT-based exchange on a public permissionless blockchain (Aleph Zero and soon other chains), allowing for highly efficient disintermediated, and secure trading of financial instruments. So, what’s their solution to building a regulatory-driven exchange on a fast, permissionless blockchain? Below, you’ll find what they want to achieve when solving secondary markets for blockchain-based financial instruments: All Asset Types - 21X will allow access and trading of all DLT financial instruments such as stock, bond, and fund tokens. Multilateral Trade - The exchange gives the market direct access for everyone, which enables regulated multilateral trade between investors, institutions, and market makers. Unlocked Liquidity - Since 21X gives open access for any onboarded user, this will enable deep liquidity for all assets on a public permissionless blockchain infrastructure. Smart Contract Based - For counterparty/credit risk to be non-existent and 24/7 trading to be enabled, 21X deploys smart contract-enabled matching and settlement. EU Regulated - 21X’s primary goal is to get licensed under the EU DLT Pilot Regime for their future DLT trading and settlement system, allowing 21X to become an end-to-end service provider reaching from asset tokenization, issuance, and distribution to listing and trading. Institutional Grade - To be an institutional-grade level exchange, 21X has enabled tokenization, registry, and reporting without enabling trading and without further intermediaries. This all sounds good, right? But what about the technology that 21X is utilizing on their exchange? At 21X, they will be building a DLT market infrastructure that is to be the first of its kind - leveraging peer-to-peer settlement and atomic matching of financial instruments natively on the blockchain. Below is a list of the technological solutions that 21X is bringing to their exchange: Fast & Seamless - 21X’s exchange will have a built-in central-limit order book that applies atomic matching and settlement between E-Money (EUR) and asset tokens. Smart Contract Based - 21X will make both cash and securities settlement smart contract-based and any whitelisted wallet can trade in real-time using their built-in central-limit order book. Interoperable - To fulfil their multi-blockchain approach, they will need to admit any regulatory-compliant token to trading that’s independent of blockchain and token standards. White-label frontend - Since 21finance is a subsidiary of 21X, they will offer white-labelled digital asset platforms that will be seamlessly integrated with 21X’s trading functionality. End-to-end processes - Because 21X lives and breathes process excellence, they will be applying a high level of test automation, regular penetration tests, and relying on audited smart contracts. API Functionality - Finally, for enterprises that want to integrate 21X’s exchange into their digital asset front-end solution, 21X will allow market participants and financial institutions to trade on 21X by integrating their REST API. Finally, 21X’s exchange seeks to benefit both CeFi and DeFi in a regulatory-driven market. For traditional stock exchanges, there’s a big no. of intermediaries out there, and they’re involved between a retail or institutional investor and the exchange. To route transactions between buyers and sellers in a regulated and compliant way, intermediaries, like custodians, CSDs, transfer agents, or clearing houses, are needed to go through this process and to be honest, this process is slow, complex, and costly. However, with the rise of DeFi, disintermediation is finally possible! Under the EU DLT Pilot Regime, 21X enables peer-to-peer trading between buyers and sellers without the need for further intermediaries. With this feature being possible on the exchange, retail and institutional investors will be able to trade directly on 21X after running through their onboarding process to be compliant. 21X’s exchange will solve the issues within the traditional markets with the use of peer-to-peer trading for buyers and sellers that takes away the complexity of intermediaries! The Team: As previously stated, 21X was founded by 21finance, a company that offers innovative, decentralized software solutions for banks, financial intermediaries, and companies outside the financial sector that want the opportunity to maintain digital marketplaces for the distribution of financial products. With an exchange that wants to be the 1st regulated European DLT Exchange, it's a no-brainer to say that the team at 21X will be made up of individuals and experts that excel in various sectors, like banking, finance, cryptocurrency & blockchain, marketing, software development, etc. Below is a list of some of those individuals: Max Heinzle (CEO): Max is the CEO of 21X, and also the Founder & CEO at 21finance. In his past careers, Max co-founded Mezzany back in 2015, a pioneer in crowd investing in Germany with a transaction volume of more than 100M EUR and 90K+ registered users. He has personally worked as an Investment Analyst, Executive Board Director, Head of Investor Relations, Head of Capital Market, and much more. He’s been in the crypto/blockchain space for 6 years now, with him founding 21 Finance back in 2017 to help streamline the process of digitizing assets for traditional banks. He graduated with a Master of Science (MSc) in Global Baking & Finance from the European Business School in London back in 2011. If you would like to know more about Max's work, here's his LinkedIn profile. Ulf Medek (COO): Ulf serves as the COO at 21X (joined back in October 2021). Professionally, he is known as a lawyer and has experience in the financial industry for more than 25 years. In addition to working in various legal departments (banks, insurance companies, pension funds, investment firms, etc.), he has been a managing director, board member, and supervisory board member of various financial intermediaries and service companies in the financial industry. Notably, he served as Administrative Director for an AIF in Luxembourg and his activities focused in particular on regulatory challenges, AML/KYC topics and organizational issues, capital markets law, company pension law, and AIFMG. If you would like to know more about Ulf's work, here's his LinkedIn profile. Marc Hegen (CTO): Mark is the CTO at 21X (joined back in June 2021) and has worked several years in the area of SW and product development for automotive Tier 1 and engineering suppliers. He built up cross-national development teams and headed a development division with more than 200 employees. As a former IT auditor, he has experience in IT Security and process development, and during his career, he always worked with spearhead technologies and has successfully led projects in automated driving, AI, and IoT. If you would like to know more about Marc's work, here's his LinkedIn profile. Mathias Breier (CFO): Mathias is the CFO at 21X. Previously, he has also worked as a CFO for both Valida Industrie Pensionskasse AG & Karrenblick Wohnbau, as the Head of Finance at Valida Vorsorge Management, as a Strategy Consultant at DaimlerChrysler AG, and as the Head of strategy, risk management, and product development for Raiffeisen Capital Management. He graduated with a Master's degree in business administration, finance, banking, and tax law at WU (Vienna University of Economics and Business). If you would like to know more about Mathias' work, here's his LinkedIn profile And if you would like to see the rest of the amazing team working on 21X, here’s the link to their 'About' page. The Partnerships & Roadmap: By now, the partnership between 21X and Aleph Zero is nothing new to us, and if anything, this can help push and drive the next bull run when it comes to regulated digital assets such as securities, bonds, and funds. The partnership between the two details as follows: 1st Objective - Bring 21X to Aleph Zero, so they can explore the network’s capabilities in a regulatory-driven market, all while boosting the overall privacy features of 21X across multiple networks. 2nd Objective - The next step after the 1st objective is to deploy a regulatory-driven token standard to the Aleph Zero ecosystem, so they can support the process of stimulating the regulated DeFi ecosystem of the network. 21X wants to meet the security and regulatory requirements of the EU DLT Pilot Regime for their exchange, so why have they chosen Aleph Zero to do this exactly? Well, the primary reason as to why 21X has chosen Aleph Zero to deploy their exchange on there as well as utilize their technology is because, to quote Max Heinzle, founder & CEO at 21finance: “The specific features of Aleph Zero, such as privacy, security, and instant finality, make the network an ideal DLT for what we’re looking to accomplish. We’ll be working together to provide necessary building blocks for a privacy-preserving, regulated DeFi ecosystem on Aleph Zero in general.” For the most recent developments (as of writing/the 1st November 2023), here’s what they’ve got to say: 21X has stated that while their partnership with Aleph Zero was announced already in April this year, they’re happy to share that the first milestones of bringing 21X to AZERO have been completed. On top of that, since they also want a multi-chain approach, they’ve also shared that an official partnership with the Polygon Network is on its way and plan to deploy their exchange on Polygon as well. Finally, they have secured further collaborations and backing with projects such as IDNow, SanctionScanner, Coinfirm, and more. The project had just rebranded from EDX to 21X back on August 21st, 2023 due to the fact they’ve further clarified on several legal aspects that they plan to roll out their product offering globally and have decided for a clearer branding that reflects the origins of 21finance. To the best of their knowledge, 21X has handed in their license application as the first DLT Trading and Settlement System (DLT-TSS) with the German financial regulatory ‘BaFin’ back on March 23rd, 2023. Additionally, they are close to the finish line of answering the detailed questions from BaFin, ESMA, and the German Federal Bank that they received as feedback on their application, meaning that they are one step closer to obtaining their full license at the beginning of September. Finally, they have been heads down focusing on getting their market infrastructure to go live, with the prototypes of their Smart Contracts already completed. They are expecting to launch their first demo version of the exchange in Q4 2023 and plan the exchange to go live in early 2024. 21X is working with and backed by some of the well-known companies out here in the crypto space. 21X’s primary goal is to become a licensed DLT Trading and Settlement System under the EU DLT Pilot Regime, but what does the EU DLT Pilot Regime ask from them exactly? Well, the EU DLT Pilot Regime entered into force on June 23rd, 2022, and the program proposes three categories of DLT market infrastructures: DLT Multilateral Trading Facilities (DLT MTF) DLT Trading and Settlement Systems (DLT TSS) DLT Settlement Systems (DLT SS) Out of the three categories listed above, 21X applied for DLT TSS and will combine the regulatory frameworks of both a DLT MTF and a DLT SS. Moreover, part of the requirements proposed by the European Securities and Markets Authority is for the projects under this regime to have the total market value of DLT-transferrable securities recorded at any market infrastructure to not exceed 6,000,000,000 EUR at any moment of admission to trading or initial recording. The Conclusion: In conclusion, 21X is an enterprise-grade, digital asset exchange that aims to become the 1st regulated European DLT Exchange under the ‘EU Pilot DLT Regime’ and hopes to utilize Aleph Zero’s blockchain and privacy-enhancing technology for fast and cheap transactions, all whilst embracing a multi-chain approach. If done right and once their license is approved, they will position themselves to become the very 1st regulated DLT exchange ever in Europe (and globally) for tokenized financial instruments (bonds, funds, shares) and will be able to utilize the best technology possible that can lead them to see large amounts of transactions and liquidity on the exchange. References: Website - https://www.21x.eu/ Twitter/X - https://twitter.com/europeandltex Telegram - https://t.me/tradeon21X

Panjea, a blockchain-based content network, has officially announced that they have joined Aleph Zero's Ecosystem Funding Program (EFP), which was done on a Twitter/X space, to further the developments of their Web3 social media platform and in hopes to revolutionise the SocialFi space. But what does this all entail, and how will the Panjea team benefit from this program? Well in this short article, I'll go over these things and explain how Panjea stands to benefit from all of this. If you don't know what Panjea is, I highly recommend you look into the article where I first talked about them: here. In short, Panjea is a blockchain-based content/social media network that is free from centralised control and puts the power back to the community, removes the need for algorithms to control the flow of content on the network, mitigates the bot and bot attack problem via their innovative KYC system called Proof-of-Life (PoL), rewards creators and curators fairly via a daily rewards pool, and much more. With Panjea joining Aleph Zero's EFP, the team can expect to gain access to a wide range of benefits for them to utilise, such as getting a grant from the Aleph Zero foundation, access to VC and angel investors, code audits for their smart contracts and for the platform itself, having marketing support, access to infrastructure resources, and so on. One of the many reasons why Panjea chose to build on Aleph Zero and make it their parent blockchain is, to quote Lee Kerr (Panjea’s Web3 lead) from the EFP announcement: “Aleph Zero’s high throughput, low cost and enterprise-ready public blockchain made it the perfect platform on which to build a thriving content creator network. With the combination of ZK-Proofs and secure multiparty computation for enhanced privacy, it enables us to implement our unique KYC Proof of Life (POL) functionality which will in turn keep our user base safe and bot resistant.” On top of this, Kieron Bain (Panjea’s commercial lead) included his own words for this strategic move to build on Aleph Zero: “It is not only the technology behind Aleph Zero that has impressed us. The foundation has a strong community base, full of active, engaged members who have made us feel welcome, showing a huge interest and enthusiasm for the project. We believe that many of these advocates will go on to form our first community members, shaping the atmosphere and culture of the platform” What was also included in the EFP announcement is that Panjea has unveiled its plans to integrate and partner with other ecosystem projects that are also building on top of Aleph Zero. One of the many projects that they've been eyeing to integrate their services onto its platform is none other than AZERO.ID. Panjea believes that the current onboarding process for these Web3 alternative social media platforms can be a hassle to fix and will take more time to be put into solving that issue rather than prioritizing developing the platform itself. Instead, the team at Panjea has plans to integrate and partner with AZERO.ID, which can provide Panjea with the technology it needs, aka on-chain domains, to ensure that the onboarding process is seamless and smooth for anyone new to the platform. Other integrations and partnerships that the team at Panjea eventually wants to make are to integrate Interlock's ThreatSlayer into the site to protect users from malicious links as well as phishing sites, and with Common so they can get increased support when it comes to the health of their liquidity pools. These are just some of the projects they've been planning to partner with so far, but once Panjea starts to mature and has additional functions built into its platform, it'll continue to expand with other partnerships and integrations with other ecosystem projects that can add more value to the platform. Overall, Panjea stands to benefit massively from being accepted into Aleph Zero’s EFP as it marks a new chapter for the development of the platform. The team has also expressed their belief that this can help bring in that missing mass adoption into Web3 and SocialFi, and bring in new users to Aleph Zero itself along with the creation of more wallets.

In recent times, the digital frontier has become a battleground for malicious actors seeking to defraud individuals of their hard-earned crypto, NFTs, and money. Discord, the popular VoIP and chat application, has not been immune to the onslaught of scams. Hackers have capitalised on the platform's open nature to perpetrate various scams. Discord Scamming: Where Messaging Platforms Become a Breeding Ground Discord, once heralded as a thriving digital community hub, has increasingly become a fertile ground for cyber scams, particularly in the realm of crypto and NFT projects. In a year where the popularity of NFTs skyrocketed, the number of NFT scams witnessed a concerning surge. These projects rely on Discord for communication and engagement with their communities, making the platform a target for scammers. As the cybersecurity firm Kaspersky reports, there has been a sharp uptick in crypto-related scams within Discord, marked by evolving tactics employed by hackers. Discord users are increasingly vulnerable to these scams, resulting in significant monetary losses. Notably, these phishing attempts are not limited to individual users; even prominent crypto communities have fallen victim to attacks. For instance, OpenSea, the largest NFT marketplace, saw its Discord channel compromised, and the Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) Discord server suffered a hack. The implications of such breaches extend further; the compromise of the Mee6 Discord bot in May 2022 led to a spate of scam messages infiltrating public channels of crypto projects like Axie Infinity. It is evident that no one is immune to these scams, making action a necessity to ensure online safety. Cryptocurrency Scams and Frauds: Alarming Statistics The statistics surrounding cryptocurrency scams paint a grim picture. According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), reported losses due to cryptocurrency-related frauds and scams exceeded $1 billion between January 2021 and March 2022. However, this figure represents only reported cases. Globally, Chainalysis reported that in 2021, cryptocurrency-related frauds accounted for losses totalling $7 billion, affecting more than 46,000 individuals. The median loss per person stood at $2,600. These figures indicate a staggering increase in crypto scams compared to previous years. To put this into perspective, in the first quarter of 2022 (January to March), losses attributed to cryptocurrency fraud amounted to $329 million, nearly half the total losses witnessed in the entirety of 2021, which stood at $680 million. This data underscores the alarming rise in scams that threaten the mass adoption of DeFi and crypto. As the cryptocurrency landscape evolves, so too do the tactics employed by attackers. Discord Security Measures Recognising the rampant scams on their platform, Discord has taken steps to educate users on the types of scams to watch out for and how to manually prevent them. Among the common scams are phishing scams, where hackers create counterfeit websites to trick users into divulging personal information, and giveaway scams, where fake accounts promise free items or services in exchange for money. Users are encouraged to refrain from sharing personal information on unfamiliar websites, exercise caution when encountering accounts promising giveaways, and report suspicious activity to Discord's support team. It's also crucial to scrutinize the links you click on when received through Discord to avoid falling victim to phishing attempts. Password managers can add an extra layer of security by identifying phishing attempts. Interlock's Cyber Security Discord Bot The relentless proliferation of scams in the Discord ecosystem calls for innovative solutions to safeguard users and communities. Enter Interlock's Cyber Security Discord Bot, aptly named "Bouncer." This dedicated bot is on a mission to block malicious links and phishing sites, bolstering the security of public channels on Discord. Leveraging years of cybersecurity expertise and a robust threat intelligence database, the Bouncer bot incorporates Visual AI technology to identify and mitigate potential threats in real time. While currently in beta testing, it aims to provide a comprehensive layer of protection and safety to the Discord community. References: https://www.interlock.network/post/discord-scams https://www.kaspersky.com/blog/cryptoscam-in-discord/38661/ https://www.kaspersky.com/blog/cryptoscam-in-discord-fake-news-services/38764/ https://cointelegraph.com/news/opensea-discord-server-hacked-users-warned-to-be-vigilant-of-phishing-scams https://www.coindesk.com/business/2022/06/04/yuga-labs-confirms-discord-server-hack-200-eth-worth-of-nfts-stolen/ https://www.cpomagazine.com/cyber-security/multiple-nft-projects-attacked-after-commonly-used-mee6-discord-bot-hacked/ https://cointelegraph.com/news/axie-infinity-s-discord-bot-compromised-hackers-issue-fake-minting-message https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/data-visualizations/data-spotlight/2022/06/reports-show-scammers-cashing-crypto-craze#crypto1 https://go.chainalysis.com/2022-Crypto-Crime-Report.html https://discord.com/safety/common-scams-what-to-look-out-for https://discord.com/safety/protecting-users-from-scams-on-discord

The cryptocurrency landscape is a realm where innovation and risk intertwine seamlessly. While the potential for financial growth is exhilarating, the specter of cyberattacks looms ominously. Every crypto enthusiast has heard the horror stories of multi-million-dollar hacks, and the thought of such an incident striking a project can send shivers down the spine. It's not always easy to distinguish between a well-coded smart contract and a flawed one, especially if you're not a coding expert. That's where crypto audits come into play. What is a Crypto Audit? A crypto audit is a meticulous examination of a project's smart contracts, designed to ensure their safety and security. When a project seeks a crypto audit, it's essentially asking experts to scrutinize its smart contract code for vulnerabilities, security issues, and potential fixes. This process can be carried out manually or with the help of specialized software. It's crucial to understand that a crypto audit is distinct from a code review. While a code review assesses code quality, a crypto audit delves into the security of the code. Crypto audits can be quite intricate, depending on the project's complexity. Third-party integrations with smart contracts, a common practice in the crypto realm, may introduce additional vulnerabilities that require examination. If issues are detected, the auditor provides a detailed report highlighting potential threats. To verify if a project has undergone an audit, you can visit platforms like Coinmarketcap, which often include audit information for listed projects. Why are Crypto Audits Important? Crypto audits are indispensable for protecting smart contracts from hacks. History is rife with examples of catastrophic hacks that caused extensive damage to projects, some even leading to their demise. A single bug within the code can result in a multi-million dollar hack, underscoring the importance of audits. For instance, minor coding errors have been responsible for hacks amounting to $325 million. Crypto audits also serve as a crucial line of defence against design flaws within smart contracts. Hackers can exploit these flaws to wreak havoc on a project, potentially causing irreparable harm. By identifying and rectifying design flaws early on, crypto audits act as a bulwark, shielding projects from impending disasters. Kudelski Security Kudelski Security, a world leader in cybersecurity solutions and services, partners with clients to enhance their cyber confidence and safeguard their business and brand during the tumultuous digital transformation and cloud adoption journeys. Kudelski Security's approach is rooted in a fundamental question: What is the real problem? This question serves as the compass for their exploration of answers. The firm meticulously delves into the intricacies of crypto projects, dissecting their smart contracts for vulnerabilities and security gaps. Armed with their findings, Kudelski Security delivers tailored solutions and services, aligning precisely with each client's unique business needs. Safeguarding the Aleph Zero Ecosystem The Aleph Zero Foundation, a driving force behind the Aleph Zero ecosystem, has embarked on an exciting partnership with Kudelski Security. This strategic collaboration holds immense significance for the Aleph Zero community, particularly the builders who strive to enhance and secure the ecosystem's applications. The ultimate beneficiaries are Aleph Zero users, whose digital assets will be better shielded against potential threats. The Foundation has crafted a comprehensive support system, specifically tailored to amplify the capabilities of builders and developers within the Aleph Zero ecosystem. Kudelski Security's resources are poised to play a pivotal role in this endeavour, offering expert guidance in crafting robust application designs. The outcome of this partnership is a more secure, resilient, and thriving ecosystem. Conclusion Crypto audits are a cornerstone of crypto project security. They don't guarantee complete immunity from hacks, but they represent the minimum effort a project can make to protect itself. In cases where issues are identified, yet the project fails to address them, the audit's announcement may be nothing more than a marketing ploy. With cryptoverse safety hanging in the balance, crypto audits emerge as the unsung heroes safeguarding your investments. References: https://coinmarketcap.com/ https://www.theverge.com/2022/2/3/22916111/wormhole-hack-github-error-325-million-theft-ethereum-solana https://kudelskisecurity.com/ https://alephzero.org/ecosystem https://alephzero.org/blog/kudelski-security-aleph-zero-ecosystem/

In the ever-expanding universe of the internet, Web3 is the frontier, promising a digital landscape where decentralized applications (dApps) and blockchain technologies will revolutionize the way we interact, trade, and transact. At the heart of this evolution lies a vital, yet often underappreciated, component: DNS, or the Domain Name System. The Challenge The internet, as we know it, operates on Web2 principles. Here, we rely on centralized servers and systems, where digital services are controlled by a select few entities. While Web2 has brought us incredible innovations, it has also exposed the flaws of a centralized system. These drawbacks include issues like data breaches, privacy concerns, and a single point of failure. As we transition to the Web3 era, these challenges must be addressed. Blockchain technology promises a more secure, private, and decentralized internet experience, and DNS is at the core of this transformation. The Solution The Domain Name System, or DNS, is like a bridge connecting the internet's numerical addresses (IP addresses) to user-friendly domain names. In the Web3 context, DNS is experiencing a significant overhaul. This upgrade aims to decentralise and democratise the internet infrastructure. In this evolved DNS landscape, blockchain technology plays a pivotal role. DNS services are now being hosted on blockchains like Aleph Zero, Ethereum and Solana, enabling users to register and manage domain names directly through decentralised apps. This shift offers a range of benefits, including enhanced security, resistance to censorship, and true ownership of digital assets. In Web3, DNS is a bridge between the traditional internet and the decentralized one. The key takeaway here is that as Web3 becomes more integrated into our daily lives, blockchain-based DNS solutions are essential for ensuring the security and privacy of users. Decentralised DNS is not just a technical upgrade; it represents a fundamental shift in the way we perceive and use the internet. It empowers users to have greater control over their online identities and digital assets while reducing the reliance on centralized authorities. AZERO.ID AZERO.ID, plays a significant role in this transformative landscape, as a Web3 user exploring this dynamic environment, AZERO.ID has made waves by being the go-to domain service for the Aleph Zero and Substrate ecosystem. With AZERO.ID, the Aleph Zero network becomes more user-friendly, making it accessible to a broader audience. It eliminates the need to copy and paste long hexadecimal addresses, reducing the chances of errors during transactions. AZERO.ID will be the first-ever domain service offering private domain-to-domain asset transfers. This constitutes a huge leap in the user experience of on-chain domains since it's the first time users can leverage their identity via a domain without revealing their wallet balances and on-chain activities. All of this is powered by Liminal, the soon-to-be-released privacy framework of Aleph Zero. Moreover, AZERO.ID is on an expansion mission, bringing its domain system to the entire Polkadot ecosystem. AZERO.ID is introducing the first-ever ink!-based and XCM-native multichain protocol. The innovation brought by AZERO.ID aligns perfectly with the goals of Web3 – decentralized, secure, and empowering users to take control of their digital identities and assets. ENS ENS has revolutionized the Ethereum ecosystem by providing a decentralized and human-readable naming system. It allows users to replace complex and error-prone Ethereum addresses with simple, easy-to-remember domain names. Notably, ENS extends its capabilities beyond Ethereum. It now supports domain names for multiple blockchains, showcasing its potential as a cross-chain naming system. This means that, as a Web3 explorer, you can use ENS to manage domain names across different blockchain networks, streamlining your digital presence. In a world where decentralization and user empowerment are at the forefront of the Web3 revolution, ENS is a key player that offers a new level of accessibility and convenience. Bonfida Bonfida's Solana Naming Service offers users a secure and efficient gateway to access an array of decentralized applications (dApps) and services. Powered by the Solana blockchain, it serves as a decentralized counterpart to the traditional Domain Name Systems (DNS). Bonfida's robust architecture sets it apart, boasting exceptional resilience and scalability, capable of effortlessly handling a deluge of queries, with a capacity to process millions per second. This resiliency guarantees uninterrupted access to vital services on the platform. One of Bonfida's key strengths lies in its user-friendliness. It is thoughtfully designed, ensuring that users can effortlessly discover, access, and utilize dApps and services that cater to their specific needs. Challenges and risks While Web3 DNS systems like AZERO.ID, ENS, and Bonfida offer remarkable advantages, but they are not without their challenges and potential risks. Security Concerns: Transitioning from traditional DNS to decentralized systems introduces new security challenges. Decentralised systems may be more resistant to traditional cyber threats, but they could face unique vulnerabilities, such as smart contract bugs or attacks targeting blockchain networks. User Adoption: Embracing Web3 DNS requires users to adapt to a new way of managing domain names. The learning curve may be steep for those accustomed to the simplicity of traditional domain registrars. Regulatory Uncertainty: The decentralized nature of Web3 DNS could lead to regulatory challenges. Governments and regulatory bodies worldwide are still shaping the legal framework for blockchain technologies. Data Loss and Recovery: With greater control over their domains comes the responsibility of safeguarding private keys and access credentials. Users who lose their private keys risk permanent data loss. Understanding these challenges and risks is vital for both users and developers in the Web3 DNS landscape. Mitigating these issues while capitalizing on the benefits of decentralized domains will be an ongoing process as the Web3 ecosystem continues to evolve. Conclusion In conclusion, as we embrace Web3 and navigate this complex landscape, DNS stands as a cornerstone of the next-generation internet—web3 domains, like those provided by AZERO.ID, ENS and Bonfida are at the forefront of this transformative journey. These domains not only offer a more secure and decentralized web experience but also empower individuals and businesses to take control of their online identities and assets. Web3 is not a distant vision of the future; it's a tangible reality. In this new era, DNS is the unsung hero, facilitating a seamless transition into the decentralized digital landscape. With DNS and Web3, the internet is becoming more than a technological marvel; it's a realm where security, privacy, and user empowerment prevail, shaping the future of our online world.

When embarking on the development of smart contracts and dApps (decentralised applications), developers face a critical decision: the choice of a Smart Contract Programming Language (SCPL). Choosing the wrong SCPL can cast a shadow of uncertainty over a project's development. Therefore, the selection of an SCPL is a crucial phase that determines the sustainability and evolution of such project in the future. The successful deployment of a smart contract on a blockchain platform involves several key factors, including a user-friendly SCPL that offers high compatibility and interoperability with various blockchain platforms, fast execution with low gas costs, robust security features, adaptability to future upgrades, and the presence of a strong developer community. Among other strong contenders, Ink! stands proudly as the cornerstone of Genesis, a specialized subset of the Rust SCPL meticulously designed for blockchains built upon the Substrate framework. These blockchains can be solo blockchains or blockchains connected to Polkadot as parachains. Substrate: The Ultimate Toolkit for Blockchain Innovation Traditional blockchain developers often rely on pre-designed templates within available blockchain frameworks, a practice that comes with inherent limitations, including reduced flexibility and customization options. Substrate, an open-source blockchain development framework, enables developers to craft customized blockchains or parachains optimized for various use cases. Substrate equips developers with robust development and deployment tools and a highly valuable codebase from their vibrant developer community, eliminating the need to start from scratch. Pallets Unveiled: A Closer Look at Substrate's Building Blocks Within Substrate, developers can expand the capabilities of their blockchains through predefined modules known as "pallets." In a natural ecosystem, various species play different roles. Some are pollinators like bees on nectar, some are predators, while others decompose organic matter. Just as various species have evolved and adapted to occupy specific roles in an ecosystem, similarly, different pallets have specialized functions and often interact and depend on each other's functionality. Some handle consensus, others manage tokens, while some are responsible for smart contracts. These pallets serve as fundamental building blocks for modern blockchains. Some noteworthy examples include: • Staking Pallet: Enables the creation and management of staking mechanisms, a pivotal structure of Proof-of-Stake (PoS) blockchains where users lock various tokens as collateral or for network security. • Fungible Tokens Pallet: Enables the issuance (or "minting") and administration of interchangeable tokens, such as cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin or Ethereum. • Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) Pallet: Empowers the creation and management of unique, indivisible assets, such as collectibles and digital art (e.g., bored apes). • Governance Pallet: Enables governance mechanisms within the blockchain, allowing token holders to actively participate in decision-making processes such as proposing and voting on protocol upgrades and funding allocation. Smart Contract Integration: The Heart of Pallet-Contracts Pallet-Contracts is one of the modules provided by Substrate. Think of it as a tool in the toolkit for Substrate-based blockchains, allowing them to add smart contract capabilities, much like how a chef uses various spices to enhance the flavor of a dish. When a Substrate parachain integrates the Pallet-Contracts module, it gains the ability to execute smart contracts written in Ink!, ensuring secure and efficient contract execution. Thus, developers can write secure and efficient smart contracts using Ink!, the Ink! compiler generates WebAssembly (WASM) that is compatible with the Polkadot runtime environment. This compatibility ensures that smart contracts written in Ink! can seamlessly integrate with the Polkadot blockchain and with other parachains. In traditional blockchains like Ethereum, smart contract development heavily relies on Solidity. This could be considered a form of lock-in since it restricts developers from easily porting their smart contracts to other blockchain platforms. However, one of the most significant benefits of true open-source software is the ability to avoid vendor lock-in. Contract developers are not constrained to a specific language dictated by the blockchain framework. Instead, they have the liberty to choose the language they are most comfortable with, as long as their smart contracts can be compiled into WebAssembly (WASM). This means they can opt for "ink!" to write their smart contracts but also have the option of using other languages like "AssemblyScript" or the "Solang compiler for Solidity." The resulting flexibility and freedom from dependency on a single language make the blockchain platform more versatile and accessible to a wide range of developers, without the need to expend extra efforts in creating cross-chain compatibility protocols, promoting seamless interoperability between different smart contracts within a blockchain network. Pallet Contracts meet Zero-knowledge: Unveiling Aleph Zero Aleph Zero enhances security and privacy for dApps by integrating Secure Multiparty Computation (SMPC) and Zero-Knowledge (ZK) proofs into pallet-contracts. The technology stack equips contract developers with vital tools to create trustless, potentially regulatory-compliant applications that feature robust privacy. This enables secure on-chain transfers, trades, and transactions, especially in situations where sensitive data must be processed and verified while remaining confidential. This is useful in applications where data privacy and security are critical, such as financial systems, voting systems, healthcare, supply chain management and identity verification. Aleph Zero stands out by incorporating the AlephBFT consensus protocol and employing a DAG intermediary structure, setting it apart from other blockchain platforms. This combination provides Aleph Zero with unique capabilities. The AlephBFT consensus protocol has been seamlessly integrated into the Substrate stack. This eliminates the need for developers to create custom pallets to accommodate the intricate requirements of cutting-edge DAG-based consensus protocols. Substrate, renowned for its flexibility and robust features, offers native support for Byzantine Fault Tolerance (BFT) through its existing pallets. Substrate features a consensus pallet known as "Aura," specifically designed to facilitate the implementation of BFT-based consensus mechanisms. The Aura consensus pallet is optimized for situations demanding rapid and highly certain finality in the consensus process. The Substrate stack empowers the creation of customized blockchains on the Aleph Zero platform, while the AlephBFT architecture significantly improves transaction speeds, boosts throughput, reduces transaction fees, and ensures robust security. This positions Aleph Zero as a compelling solution for various dApps requiring high scalability and faster time to finality. Tailoring Your Blockchain Project Aleph Zero's approach provides a flexible canvas for developers to create customized blockchain projects. The framework equips developers not only with a robust software development toolkit but also empowers them to unleash their creative potential. This empowerment extends to a wide range of critical use cases, spanning financial systems, voting systems, healthcare, supply chain, and identity verification. This versatility, combined with the capabilities of Ink!, positions Aleph Zero as a new era of decentralized applications where security, privacy, and efficiency take top priority. These qualities make Aleph Zero an ideal choice for blockchain development, allowing developers to shape the decentralized future.