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By Crypto Cobras

What is Fibonacci Retracement and how to use it

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What Are Fibonacci Retracement Levels?

Fibonacci retracement levels — stemming from the Fibonacci sequence — are horizontal lines that indicate where support and resistance are likely to occur.

Each level is associated with a percentage. The percentage is how much of a prior move the price has retraced. The Fibonacci retracement levels are 23.6%, 38.2%, 61.8%, and 78.6%. While not officially a Fibonacci ratio, 50% is also used.

The indicator is useful because it can be drawn between any two significant price points, such as a high and a low. The indicator will then create the levels between those two points.

Suppose the price of a stock rises $10 and then drops $2.36. In that case, it has retraced 23.6%, which is a Fibonacci number. Fibonacci numbers are found throughout nature. Therefore, many traders believe that these numbers also have relevance in financial markets.

Fibonacci retracement levels were named after Italian mathemetician Leonardo Pisano Bigollo, who was famously known as Leonardo Fibonacci. However, Fibonacci did not create the Fibonacci sequence. Fibonacci, instead, introduced these numbers to western Europe after learning about them from Indian merchants.1 Fibonacci retracement levels were formulated in Ancient India between 450 and 200 BCE.

Fibonacci retracement levels connect any two points that the trader views as relevant, typically a high point and a low point. The percentage levels provided are areas where the price could stall or reverse. The most commonly used ratios include 23.6%, 38.2%, 50%, 61.8%, and 78.6%. These levels should not be relied on exclusively, so it is dangerous to assume the price will reverse after hitting a specific Fibonacci level. Fibonacci numbers and sequencing were first used by Indian mathematicians centuries before Leonardo Fibonacci.

Numbers First Formulated in Ancient India:

Despite its name, the Fibonacci sequence was not developed by its namesake. Instead, centuries before Leonardo Fibonacci shared it with western Europe, it was developed and used by Indian mathematicians.

Most notably, Indian mathematician Acarya Virahanka is known to have developed Fibonacci numbers and the method of their sequencing around 600 AD. Following Virahanka’s discovery, other subsequent generations of Indian mathematicians — Gopala, Hemacandra, and Narayana Pandita — referenced the numbers and method. Pandita expanded its use by drawing a correlation between the Fibonacci numbers and multinomial coefficients.

It is estimated that Fibonacci numbers existed in Indian society as early as 200 AD.

The Formula for Fibonacci Retracement Levels:

Fibonacci retracement levels do not have formulas. When these indicators are applied to a chart, the user chooses two points. Once those two points are chosen, the lines are drawn at percentages of that move.

Suppose the price rises from $10 to $15, and these two price levels are the points used to draw the retracement indicator. Then, the 23.6% level will be at $13.82 ($15 — ($5 x 0.236) = $13.82). The 50% level will be at $12.50 ($15 — ($5 x 0.5) = $12.50).

How to Calculate Fibonacci Retracement Levels:

As discussed above, there is nothing to calculate when it comes to Fibonacci retracement levels. They are simply percentages of whatever price range is chosen.

However, the origin of the Fibonacci numbers is fascinating. They are based on something called the Golden Ratio. Start a sequence of numbers with zero and one. Then, keep adding the prior two numbers to get a number string like this:

0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144, 233, 377, 610, 987… with the string continuing indefinitely.

The Fibonacci retracement levels are all derived from this number string. After the sequence gets going, dividing one number by the next number yields 0.618, or 61.8%. Divide a number by the second number to its right, and the result is 0.382 or 38.2%. All the ratios, except for 50% (since it is not an official Fibonacci number), are based on some mathematical calculation involving this number string.

Fun Fact: The Golden Ratio, known as the divine proportion, can be found in various spaces, from geometry to human DNA.

Interestingly, the Golden Ratio of 0.618 or 1.618 is found in sunflowers, galaxy formations, shells, historical artifacts, and architecture.

What Do Fibonacci Retracement Levels Tell You?

Fibonacci retracements can be used to place entry orders, determine stop-loss levels, or set price targets. For example, a trader may see a stock moving higher. After a move up, it retraces to the 61.8% level. Then, it starts to go up again. Since the bounce occurred at a Fibonacci level during an uptrend, the trader decides to buy. The trader might set a stop loss at the 61.8% level, as a return below that level could indicate that the rally has failed.

Fibonacci levels also arise in other ways within technical analysis. For example, they are prevalent in Gartley patterns and Elliott Wave theory. After a significant price movement up or down, these forms of technical analysis find that reversals tend to occur close to certain Fibonacci levels.

Market trends are more accurately identified when other analysis tools are used with the Fibonacci approach.

Fibonacci retracement levels are static, unlike moving averages. The static nature of the price levels allows for quick and easy identification. That helps traders and investors to anticipate and react prudently when the price levels are tested. These levels are inflection points where some type of price action is expected, either a reversal or a break.

Limitations of Using Fibonacci Retracement Levels:

While the retracement levels indicate where the price might find support or resistance, there are no assurances the price will actually stop there. This is why other confirmation signals are often used, such as the price starting to bounce off the level.

The other argument against Fibonacci retracement levels is that there are so many of them that the price is likely to reverse near one of them quite often. The problem is that traders struggle to know which one will be useful at any particular time. When it doesn’t work out, it can always be claimed that the trader should have been looking at another Fibonacci retracement level instead.

Why are Fibonacci Retracements Important?

In technical analysis, Fibonacci retracement levels indicate key areas where a stock may reverse or stall. Common ratios include 23.6%, 38.2%, and 50%, among others. Usually, these will occur between a high and low point for a security, designed to predict the future direction of its price movement.

What Are the Fibonacci Ratios?

The Fibonacci ratios are derived from the Fibonacci sequence: 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144, 233, and so on. Here, each number is equal to the sum of the two preceding numbers. Fibonacci ratios are informed by mathematical relationships found in this formula. As a result, they produce the following ratios 23.6%, 38.2%, 50% 61.8%, 78.6%, 100%, 161.8%, 261.8%, and 423.6%. Although 50% is not a pure Fibonacci ratio, it is still used as a support and resistance indicator.

How Do You Apply Fibonacci Retracement Levels in a Chart?

As one of the most common technical trading strategies, a trader could use a Fibonacci retracement level to indicate where he would enter a trade. For instance, if the trader notices that after significant momentum, a stock has declined 38.2%. As the stock begins to face an upward trend, he decides to enter the trade. Because the stock reached a Fibonacci level, it is deemed a good time to buy, with the trader speculating that the stock will then retrace, or recover its recent losses.

How Do You Draw a Fibonacci Retracement?

Fibonacci retracements are trend lines drawn between two significant points, usually between absolute lows and absolute highs, plotted on a chart. Intersecting horizontal lines are placed at the Fibonacci levels.

Conclusion:

Fibonacci retracements are useful tools that help traders identify support and resistance levels. With the information gathered, they can place orders, identify stop-loss levels, and set price targets. Although useful, traders often use other indicators to make more accurate assessments of trends and make better trading decisions.

By Alice Sh

Uniswap Left Behind?

In the realm of the DEX boom, Uniswap V3 is running late. That’s the project that carved out a niche one day and conquered the crypto market. Let’s face the music – even titans can lose over time. The next-gen platform that has become ahead of the pack is Algebra.Finance.

Algebra is the innovative all-in-one DEX built on Polygon, powered by concentrated liquidity and offering game-changing features – ones you won’t find anywhere else.

WHY ALGEBRA WINS Dynamic fees Uniswap V3 features 3 pools and liquidity providers can’t predict the best one to add liquidity; they have to move liquidity between pools to get the highest fees. Algebra offers only 1 pool which solves this problem; dynamic fees vary on volatility, trading & pool volumes. This way, price slippage and impermanent loss are minimized.

Built-in farming Uniswap doesn’t have in-platform farming whereas Algebra does. Built-in farming allows liquidity providers to earn rewards on extra project tokens. You don’t need to harness external smart contracts as on Uniswap.

Smart Routing. Algebra uses all available pools for the best partition of the trade, not using one pool only as most the DEXs. LP decreases impermanent loss risks while traders get the best rate.

Tokenomics: Algebra has the ALGB governance token which is used for voting, making proposals, accepting projects for our LaunchPad, bootstrapping, incentivization, and platform fee distribution. Moreover, ALGB tokens never go idle, they’ll work for you and multiply your capital as you can stake them right on Algebra!

The number of new DEXs is increasing not by days but sometimes within hours, however you need to choose what best meets your demands. Check out now if Algebra is your fit: https://algebra.finance/

By Alice Sh

Uniswap Left Behind?

In the realm of the DEX boom, Uniswap V3 is running late. That’s the project that carved out a niche one day and conquered the crypto market. Let’s face the music – even titans can lose over time. The next-gen platform that has become ahead of the pack is Algebra.Finance.

Algebra is the innovative all-in-one DEX built on Polygon, powered by concentrated liquidity and offering game-changing features – ones you won’t find anywhere else.

WHY ALGEBRA WINS Dynamic fees Uniswap V3 features 3 pools and liquidity providers can’t predict the best one to add liquidity; they have to move liquidity between pools to get the highest fees. Algebra offers only 1 pool which solves this problem; dynamic fees vary on volatility, trading & pool volumes. This way, price slippage and impermanent loss are minimized.

Built-in farming Uniswap doesn’t have in-platform farming whereas Algebra does. Built-in farming allows liquidity providers to earn rewards on extra project tokens. You don’t need to harness external smart contracts as on Uniswap.

Smart Routing. Algebra uses all available pools for the best partition of the trade, not using one pool only as most the DEXs. LP decreases impermanent loss risks while traders get the best rate.

Tokenomics: Algebra has the ALGB governance token which is used for voting, making proposals, accepting projects for our LaunchPad, bootstrapping, incentivization, and platform fee distribution. Moreover, ALGB tokens never go idle, they’ll work for you and multiply your capital as you can stake them right on Algebra!

The number of new DEXs is increasing not by days but sometimes within hours, however you need to choose what best meets your demands. Check out now if Algebra is your fit: https://algebra.finance/

By askcrypto

Is Cryptocurrency a Worthy Investment?

With cryptocurrency investments in 2021, it will be possible to get filthy rich. The downside is that you could lose any money you have. Both are true, but how? Crypto-asset investments can be risky, but also extremely lucrative.

Cryptocurrencies are a good investment if you want direct exposure to the demand for digital currencies. Stocks of companies with exposure to cryptocurrency are a safer but potentially less lucrative alternative.

Take a look at the advantages and disadvantages of investing in cryptocurrency.

Are Cryptocurrencies safe? Cryptocurrency is not completely safe, at least not right now. On the other hand, other evidence suggests that it may be here to stay.

Risks associated with cryptocurrency Unlike stock exchanges, cryptocurrency exchanges are more susceptible to hacking and becoming targets of other criminal activity. Investors who have had their digital currencies stolen have suffered significant losses due to these security breaches.

Cryptocurrencies require more security than stocks or bonds when it comes to storing them. Bitcoin (crypto: BTC) and Ethereum (Crypto: ETH) can both be bought and sold on cryptocurrency exchanges like Coinbase (NASDAQ: COIN), but many people prefer not to store their crypto assets on exchanges due to the risk of cyberattacks and theft.

It is common for cryptocurrency users to choose offline “cold storage” options such as paper or hardware wallets, but cold storage comes with its own set of challenges. Essentially, it is impossible to access your cryptocurrency without your private key, which is the most significant risk.

Furthermore, investment in a crypto project does not guarantee success. Cryptocurrency projects are fiercely competitive, and there are countless scam projects in the industry as well. Cryptocurrency projects will ultimately thrive in a limited number.

Cryptocurrencies may also face enforcement by regulators, especially if governments see them more as a threat than an innovation.

In addition, cryptocurrency technology is on the cutting edge, which increases the risk for investors. It is still a work in progress and hasn't been extensively tested in real-world settings yet.

Adoption of cryptocurrencies Although cryptos and the blockchain industry have inherent risks, they have grown significantly over time. Increasingly, investors can access institutional-level custody services, thanks to the building of much-needed financial infrastructure. Cryptoassets are slowly becoming more attainable for individuals and professionals alike.

A range of companies is becoming direct participants in the cryptocurrency sector by establishing crypto futures markets. Several financial giants, including Square (NYSE: SQ) and PayPal (NASDAQ: PYPL), are making it easier to buy and sell cryptocurrencies on their platforms, while others, including Square, collectively have invested hundreds of millions of dollars in Bitcoin and other digital assets. In early 2021, Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) bought Bitcoin worth $1.5 billion.

Although there are still factors that affect the riskiness of cryptocurrencies, the increasing adoption rate is a sign that the industry is maturing. Cryptocurrency is gaining popularity with both individual investors and businesses since several large companies are investing their money in it.

Cryptocurrencies are good long-term investments, but what about the short-term? During the launch of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum, lofty objectives are often set, which will be achieved over time. Although any cryptocurrency project is not guaranteed to succeed, if it succeeds, then early investors could reap significant rewards over time.

In order to be considered successful in the long run, cryptocurrency projects must achieve widespread adoption.

Long-term investing in bitcoin Due to its widespread popularity, Bitcoin is the most widely known cryptocurrency, benefiting from the network effect — more people want to own Bitcoin since the majority owns it. Some investors consider Bitcoin to be “digital gold,” however, it is also capable of being used as a digital currency.

As a result of the fixed supply, Bitcoin is believed to have gained value over the long term, unlike fiat currencies such as the U.S. dollar and the Japanese yen. It is estimated that the supply of Bitcoin will never exceed 21 million coins, compared with currencies controlled by central banks. Fiat currencies continue to depreciate, which will increase the value of Bitcoin.

Many Bitcoin enthusiasts believe Bitcoin can be used widely as digital cash in the long run, and will thus become a truly global currency.

Bitcoin has the following important features: ● The blockchain technology behind cryptocurrencies like bitcoin allows data to be sent securely in cyberspace via the payment method ● There is a mining process for every bitcoin ● The total number of bitcoins that can be mined totals 21 million ● As cryptocurrencies cannot be regulated by centralized authorities, such as governments or central banks, they are “decentralized.”

Investing in Ethereum over the long run Investors looking to gain exposure to Ethereum can buy Ethereum's native coin, Ethereum, to increase their portfolio exposure. Ethereum operates as a global computing platform that supports many other crypto-currencies and a massive ecosystem of decentralized applications (dapps). Bitcoin can be viewed as a form of digital gold.

Because Ethereum is the platform for many cryptocurrencies, and dapps are open-source, it offers Ethereum the opportunity to take advantage of the network effect and create sustainable, long-term value. With Ethereum, smart contracts can be developed, which are written in code and execute according to the terms written in the contracts.

Smart contracts are executed on the Ethereum network with the help of Ether collected from users. With smart contracts, massive industries, such as real estate and banking, can be disrupted as well as brand new markets made possible.

With the increasing adoption of the Ethereum platform, the Ether token is becoming more valuable and useful. The Ethereum platform offers a long-term opportunity for investors who are bullish on its potential to make money by owning Ether.

Cryptocurrencies: Is it worth investing in them? Investing in Bitcoin can increase your portfolio's diversification because the price of cryptocurrencies has rarely correlated with the value of U.S. stocks. Since cryptocurrency usage is likely to become even more widespread in the future, you might want to consider adding a little crypto to your portfolio as part of a diversified investment strategy. When investing in cryptocurrencies, come up with an investment hypothesis that explains why that currency will endure.

Cryptocurrencies are increasingly popular today, but buying them can be risky. If buying them seems too risky, consider other means of profiting from the rise of cryptocurrencies. CME Group (NASDAQ: CME), a company that facilitates crypto futures trading, allows you to invest in the stock of Coinbase, Square, and PayPal, or you can invest in an exchange like CME Group. The upside potential of investments in these companies may be very small compared to investing directly in cryptocurrency.

Final Words In conclusion, learning and investing in Cryptocurrencies has been very profitable over the years and the market is growing bigger every day, and it’s stated to be the future currency and kindly check our website, AskCrypto which is a cryptocurrency forum and is focused on crypto enthusiasts and helps to promote networking and communication in a better way to benefit everyone.

By Moonlight

Summarizing the healthiest diet in 2021, experts in American diet, nutrition, obesity, diet psychology, diabetes, and heart disease have selected Mediterranean diet, Deshu diet, and flexible vegetarian diet as the best diet.

2021 The world's best diet is out! Eat like this if you want to lose weight and stay away from disease-heho health

In terms of the difficulty of implementation, short-term weight loss effect, long-term weight loss effect, comprehensive nutrition, food safety, and the potential for preventing and controlling diabetes and heart disease, experts choose the top 3 from 35 dietary styles. Name diet.

First place: Mediterranean diet

The Mediterranean diet has been rated as the best overall diet for three consecutive years, but there is no uniform recipe for the Mediterranean diet. After all, Italian, Greek, French, and Spanish cuisines are all different.

The Mediterranean diet emphasizes eating fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes and soy products, nuts and olive oil; fish and seafood at least twice a week; moderate consumption of poultry, eggs, cheese and yogurt. On the Mediterranean diet pyramid, fruits and vegetables occupy the most space. Sweets rarely appear. It is recommended to reduce sweets. The proportion of red meat (red-colored meat, such as beef and lamb) is also very low. In many Mediterranean recipes, Use the meat sparingly instead of making a large meat separately.

The Mediterranean diet also tops the rankings for the best plant-based diet, the best diabetic diet, the easiest to follow diet, and the best healthy diet.

Second place: Deshu diet

Deshu Diet is a diet developed to lower blood pressure, so it naturally gets high scores in terms of heart health, nutrition and safety. It ranks first with the Mediterranean diet in the ranking of the best healthy diet; in the best diabetes Ranked second in diet; third in the best heart-healthy diet.

The Deshu diet requires that the sodium intake in the daily menu is less than 2.3 grams (equivalent to 6 grams of salt) and gradually reduced to 1.5 grams per day (equivalent to 4 grams of salt). Since it advocates low-fat, low-salt, and low-sugar food intake, it can provide the human body with balanced nutrition, so it is also suitable for people who want to lose weight or control weight.

Deshu Diet advocates the use of refined meat, poultry, and fish as the main protein sources in the diet, and a balanced intake of fruits and vegetables, dairy products, grains, soy products, nuts, a small amount of fat and sweets. Because these foods are rich in potassium, calcium, protein and dietary fiber, they have a good effect on preventing high blood pressure. The Deshu Diet discourages the consumption of foods high in saturated fat, such as fatty meat and full-fat dairy products, as well as sugar-sweetened beverages and sweets.

Third place: Flexible vegetarian diet

The flexible vegetarian diet focuses on the nutritional balance in vegetarian recipes, and is especially suitable for people who love vegetarian food. The flexible vegetarian diet should add five foods to the diet, rather than just substituting meat. They are “new meats”, that is, non-meat proteins such as tofu, peas, nuts or eggs; fruits and vegetables; whole grains; dairy products.

Increasing the intake of plant-based protein can effectively reduce blood lipids and blood pressure indicators. Compared with meat, plant foods have lower fat and cholesterol content, and contain more dietary fiber. When adopting a flexible vegetarian diet, also pay attention to the amount of oil and salt during cooking.

Although many vegetarians insist that vegetarian food is good for health, the cooking method of heavy oil and salt for the flavor of the dishes is not conducive to health. The flexible vegetarian diet ranks second in the best diabetic diet and the easiest diet to follow. .

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On the whole, these three dietary patterns have both taste and nutrition, and are easy to adhere to for a long time. If you want to eat healthy in the new year, you might as well try new recipes according to your preferences.

By Team ThreeFold

The Two P2P Network Features That Internet Must-Have Nowadays

Did you know that, according to Varonis 2019 Global Data Risk Report, on average, only 5% of companies’ folders are adequately protected?

The fact that various difficulties were brought with COVID-19 in 2020 drove corporations toward remote staff and cloud-based technologies where information vulnerability created a massive need for companies to improve their cyber assets or risk data loss and increment costs.

In this article, you’ll discover more about the two main reasons why the Internet urgently needs a P2P global network and the best alternative that implements this innovative technology.

Feature 1: Internet Security

Cybercrime has increased by 600% due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Fraudsters have boosted the use of sophisticated email, mobile, and computer malware armed with the knowledge that people spend more time on their electronic devices.

Undoubtedly, with the introduction of machine learning and tailored spear-phishing emails, malware attacks have become increasingly sophisticated, which generates the need to implement a P2P network to overcome. The chart below shows this tendency as well:

Let’s see each section in more detail.

1) Email Malware

An email malware is a harmful code spread in electronic mail and can be activated when a user clicks on a link, opens an email attachment, or interacts with the infected message in some other way.

According to Purplesec 2021 Cyber Security Report, malware is sent through email in 92% of cases, so knowing how to recognize it can prevent being scammed in a non-P2P network architecture. The following are some “red flags” that suggest an email may contain malware:

  1. Suspicious sender's email address: If the sender's email address is unknown or does not match an expected address for a corporation, it's likely a malware email.

  2. Your username appears in the email topic or attachment: A virus email's subject box may contain your username or be blank. Your username could be included in the filename of malicious attachments.

  3. Malware emails frequently include the words “warning,” “danger,” or “urgency” to entice recipients to respond hastily before they have had enough time to consider their options. If you receive an email that asks you to download a file to remedy an issue, be cautious.

2) Mobile Malware

Mobile malware is malicious software meant to attack mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets to obtain personal information.

According to Purplesec, the number of new malware types for mobile devices surged by 54% in 2018, which could arguably be prevented using a P2P open network.

Here are some security tips for avoiding mobile malware:

  1. Connect to a secure Wi-Fi network: When people access their private data in public places, like an airport with free Wi-Fi, the data may be accessible to criminal users sniffing wireless traffic at the same point of access.

  2. Prevent Jailbreaking: Jailbreaking means breaking the device’s security model and allowing all apps, including malicious ones, to access the data owned by other apps.

  3. Encrypt your devices: It makes it extremely hard for someone to break and steal data by protecting your gadgets by fully encrypting the device. Setting the device and the SIM card with a secure password is essential.

3) Computer Malware

Have you ever noticed strange cases of image pixelation or random windows popping up on your screen? Or maybe you heard weird sounds? If your answer is yes, there is a high chance that malware or virus may have invaded your machine, making the use of a P2P virtual network urgently required.

According to Purplesec, macOS malware grew 165% over the last year, and Windows development rates for malware dropped from an all-time high to 11.6%.

However, there are precautions you can take to avoid this kind of malware:

  1. Update your antivirus: You must make sure that your apps, antivirus software, and operating system are up to date to prevent your computer from becoming infected.

  2. Automatic virus scanning: Your antivirus software should contain automated functions allowing continuous scanning of your machine against viruses and performing cleanup.

  3. Reboot in safe mode: Safely starting your computer offers you the opportunity to run your antivirus program and look more closely at the (potential) problem.

Feature 2: Decentralized Data

There are several examples of massive sales of data from major technology companies to third parties previously seen, making it urgent that data is spread in a fully decentralized internet now.

When someone provides personal information to a company or any governmental entity, most people do not understand how it is used and stored nowadays, which produces concerns about the potential risks that data can suffer when stored in centralized data centers.

Let’s see the differences between centralized and P2P open network.

1) Centralized Data Storage

Did you know that 80% of the world’s data currently resides in hyperscale data centers in central locations concentrated in 20 companies?

Centralized data storage systems are built on a central server where authorized persons can manage the information to make possible data traceability.

One of the most significant disadvantages of centralized data storage is that it has deficient privacy standards, making it easier for third-party participants to access data through hacks.

2) Decentralized Data Storage

A decentralized cloud crypto strategy involves using several separate devices linked to the network, supplied by various nodes. These nodes retain autonomous control, which allows each of them to determine its criteria for the availability of data workload.

A P2P network offers increasing data privacy and transparency, reducing processing needs which drastically decrease resource usage, making it cheaper to run within the decentralized web.

After describing these two essential features that the Internet must have now, we firmly believe that ThreeFold is the best alternative to make a more secure, decentralized, and sovereign internet.

ThreeFold Is the Best Solution to Have a Fully Peer-to-Peer and Secure Internet

ThreeFold is a peer-to-peer cloud storage solution granting substantial energy efficiency compared to existing data storage systems while letting information be 100% secure, private, and available 24/7 without exception.

This fully decentralized platform improves:

1) Network Security

To close the enormous security gap in data centers nowadays, the ThreeFold P2P virtual network has developed its operating system called Zero-OS, which runs on the nodes. Every node is linked inside a specified network and has its iPv4 or iPv6 address, which keeps the information 100% encrypted and private to the user.

Also, the Peer-to-Peer Network uses a web gateway mechanism that allows the exposure of services to the open internet without allowing incoming connections to keep applications and storage secure at all times. This means there is no incoming TCP/IP traffic allowed from the outside.

2) Network Efficiency & Scalability

ThreeFold’s Peer-to-Peer Network was designed to find the shortest possible path between peers and encrypt the end-to-end connection. It allows for peer-to-peer links like in meshed wireless networks. This is very different from consensus mechanisms like distributed blockchains which use more networks than centralized networks.

When you download the same file from a peer-to-peer network, using a BitTorrent platform as a starting point, the download is performed differently.

The file is downloaded to your computer in bits and parts from many other computers connected to the same P2P network and already have that file or at least parts of it. At the same time, the file is also sent (uploaded) from your computer to other devices that are asking for it. This situation is similar to a two-way road: the file is like multiple small cars coming to your PC while also leaving to others when it is requested.

When it comes to file-sharing, the larger a P2P network is, the faster it is. Having the same file stored on many of the peers in a P2P network means that when someone needs to download it, the file is downloaded from multiple locations simultaneously. Peer-to-peer networks are incredibly scalable. Adding new peers is easy as you don’t need to do any central configuration on a central server.

3) Centralized Data & Points of Failure

Nowadays, the centralized data issue is not the only problem that information management is facing. There are also central points of failure in the system, which leads to sporadic shutdowns that sometimes can last minutes and even hours.

To overcome today's colossal data centralization gap, ThreeFold has created the most optimized peer-to-peer cloud network, bringing privacy by design. All data and applications remain under the user’s control.

Therefore, a P2P global network, such as the one offered by ThreeFold, stimulates equality by blocking a substantial amount of single-player data accumulation and also eliminates the possibility of making websites around the world to be disconnected because of the internet shutdowns.

By Tautvilas Mečinskas

Inflationary cryptocurrency and domain based identity: A recipe for a decentralized social network

Every day we set a new world record for the Internet adoption worldwide. This year there will be more than 4.5 billion active internet users. This constitutes roughly 60% of the world population. The Internet is bigger than ever but it is also the least free and the most centralized than it has ever been. The web is being dominated by megacorps that have one main goal in mind: to lock in as many people as possible into their walled gardens and to make the fastest buck by selling data about their identity, habits and desires.

People are becoming more aware of the real price that they are paying for the so-called free services. There have been several antitrust lawsuits, GDPR regulations, but these legal efforts feel somewhat heavy-handed and impotent. If there is hope for the future of internet it will not come from new laws but from the wave of new decentralized technologies that will have an antidote for centralization built in their architecture.

The internet is decentralized by design. The key components for the web layer of the net are decentralized servers with unique IP addresses and decentralized domain name system. The biggest flaw of the original web architecture is that it does not define how information on the web should be aggregated, published and discovered. This need for the missing protocol was quickly filled in by private search engines and social networks.

The appeal of centralized systems is that they are fast, efficient and beautiful. But the dark side is that they deprive users of essential freedoms to own their content and identity. Most of the world population are not very tech-savvy and would join the social network where their friends participate without giving it too much of a thought. So what could be the tectonic shift that would motivate an average social network user to migrate from a beautiful dopamine filled feeds to a slightly less efficient and less fancy decentralized product?

The answer is money.

Every day we spend time on social networks creating content. Everyone in the social network is a publisher, but the content is claimed by social networks. This in turn creates a perverse influencer economy where people have to sell-out because they can only get money from promotions but not from their own original content. A decentralized social network with built-in currency would be a game changer. A person could convert likes and retweets to actual money and make a living without selling out.

BitClout is a social network that aims to achieve similar goals, however it suffers from the bane of cryptocurrency-driven platforms: scams and speculation. BitClout is built with deflationary, pre-mined crypto currency. Every user has a token, with certain value that can go up or down depending on interest in it. So ultimately this boils down to a social network where nobody cares what you got to say. Everybody is only interested how much your token will be worth the next day.

In order to have a sane decentralized social network it has to be built with an inflationary cryptocurrency in mind. Every new user of a decentralized social network should have new coins minted and deposited to his own wallet. A member of the network could spend these tokens to upvote, like, repost content from other creators. A user would earn tokens from other people when they upvote his content. This would create a more healthy ecosystem, where early adopters do not have some sort of massive upper hand in the platform and every new member is equally appreciated. Inflation would incentivize people to participate in the network and spend their tokens instead of hoarding them.

Since account creation generates minted tokens this creates a problem. Somebody could spam new accounts, cause hyper-inflation and render the social network currency worthless. In order to overcome this problem account creation should not be free. This can be implemented by enforcing account identity to be linked to a domain name. The owner of a new account would have to prove that he owns a certain domain and this domain would be linked to his account on the blockchain. No other user would be able to claim the same domain. Since domain names are not free this prevents hyper-inflation of the cryptocurrency and creates a sustainable pattern where the value of the coin would be loosely pegged to an average price of a domain name.

If these measures are implemented then we will have created an ecosystem where everyone has an equal opportunity to participate in the network and earn real money for the content that they create. Using domain names to prove decentralized identity for the social network encourages everyone to own a domain name. This is well aligned with the original vision of the decentralized internet where every user is in control of their own identity and data. It could encourage more platforms to embrace domain identity as a standard authentication method and make your personal domain and website to become your user profile page of a global decentralized social network.

By AIKON

The Most Influential Business People Driving Blockchain Adoption

Why has bitcoin's market valuation soared past $1 trillion? Why is cryptocurrency a $2 trillion asset class today? Why are people suddenly going bonkers over a meme coin named DOGE? Why are NFTs making front-page headlines on every major news daily?

Because of a few people who are putting their weight behind the digital asset space and directly influencing the growth of the blockchain industry. But who are these people? We’re profiling five of the biggest names in the industry below!

Elon Musk

The suave and dapper CEO of Tesla, CEO, CTO, and chief designer of SpaceX, founder of The Boring Company, co-founder of Neuralink, and co-founder and initial co-chairman of OpenAI doesn't need any introduction.

Well, that was an introduction. Besides the said positions that Elon Musk holds, he is a long-term believer in cryptocurrency and blockchain technology.

Everyone in the crypto community is well-versed with Elon Musk's Dogecoin obsession. Such are the effects of his tweets that people not owning any cryptocurrencies have started taking an active interest in crypto prices and markets. You know where they headed first, right? Of course, Dogecoin!

Source:

Musk has garnered a reputation for being a straight-on DOGE “shiller.” Thus, curious folks find themselves searching for “elon musk dogecoin investment” on Google. And not just DOGE.

Musk's company Tesla announced a $1.5 billion investment in bitcoin on its balance sheet more than two months back, along with the addition of BTC as a payment option for purchasing a new car. Musk and company understand that the cryptocurrency asset class is a great way to open up finance for all individuals irrespective of nationalities and geographies. Although we may never know whether or not Elon Musk does have any cryptocurrency, he indeed has pushed people enough to join the blockchain bandwagon.

Michael Saylor

Another business executive and American entrepreneur who took the world by storm with his company MicroStrategy's massive bet on bitcoin is Michael J. Saylor. But initially, the billionaire was a hardcore skeptic.

His public disdain for BTC has now become ancient history. He admitted that his comments were unfounded (in an interview with CoinDesk last year):

“I went down the rabbit hole during COVID-19,” Saylor said, admitting he “was wrong” to have doubted bitcoin back in the $600 range.

“I wish I knew then what I know now,” he said.

Last year he kickstarted the massive institutional bitcoin investment and blockchain technology adoption drive, which inspired many other prominent corporations such as Jack Dorsey-led Square to add bitcoin to their balance sheets.

Michael Saylor has now become the poster boy of bitcoin institutional investment, and his reasons are pretty much logical. Unlike all fiat currency-based assets, BTC is deflationary as it has limited supply, and that the Bitcoin blockchain network is highly secure and permissionless. In the same interview with CoinDesk last September, Saylor expressed his “primary concern” is to “move away from the dollar.”

Jack Dorsey

Jack Dorsey is the founder of social media giant Twitter and payments firm Square. Jack has been a bitcoin advocate for quite a long time.

Square's subsidiary firm Cash App has set an example in blockchain adoption in financial services by letting customers buy and sell bitcoin. Apart from this, the parent firm announced a $50 million investment in BTC, followed by an additional $170 million investment this year in February. And it just doesn't stop at bitcoin investment.

Square Crypto, the BTC focussed arm of Square, has established a record by giving out 26 grants to boost the development of Bitcoin and recently announced funding for the team behind a popular Bitcoin blockchain explorer.

Mr. Dorsey is behind all these developments. He recently partnered with popular musician Jay-Z to set up ₿trust, a 500 BTC endowment to fund bitcoin development and boost blockchain industry growth. African and Indian teams will be the initial recipients of a chunk of the fund. The Silicon Valley-based billionaire tech entrepreneur has done and is still doing what it takes to boost crypto and blockchain adoption.

Recently, Mr. Dorsey sold his first tweet as an NFT for over $2.9 million, converted the proceeds to BTC, and donated to the GiveDirectly fund to help alleviate poverty in Africa.

The Winklevoss Twins

Losing the ownership of Facebook to Mark Zuckerberg didn't stop these two Olympic rowing and investor twins. Instead, they entered the cryptocurrency race intending to spur solid blockchain industry growth. In 2012, both bought bitcoins for $10 million when the top cryptocurrency's price was trending at around $8.

What followed is the cryptocurrency market's rise across nine years and the ballooning of the Winklevoss twins' worth, to the point (around $6 billion) that they have now made the Forbes list of global real-time billionaires. As per the latest accounts, both have invested in 25 crypto firms. Apart from their investments, Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss actively promote crypto purchase and adoption through Gemini, the cryptocurrency they own.

In a development that would make blockchain part of the banking industry, in October 2015, Gemini became one of the first cryptocurrency exchanges designated as a trust bank by the New York State Department of Financial Services.

The Winklevoss twins also support the current NFT trend through their acquisition of Nifty Gateway.

The twins ran “full bus” cryptocurrency advertisements encouraging people to buy BTC and other crypto assets and “fuel the open finance movement.” While these were all successful individuals who have helped elevate cryptocurrency and blockchain technology and advocated their adoption, certain firms are operating with the same goal.

AIKON is one such firm that specializes in providing secure blockchain identity services through ORE ID, its proprietary blockchain authentication system. The AIKON team has partnered with AllianceBlock, which wants to enable anyone and anybody to benefit from secure access to the trillion-dollar capital market without having to jump through needless hoops to do so. AllianceBlock's objective is to build the world's first globally compliant blockchain-based capital market. ORE ID, which impresses on using blockchain for authentication, will play an instrumental role in the project's identity management system.

What becomes quite clear is that blockchain technology adoption is at a nascent stage. Of course, an increasing number of business bigshots are helping catapult the ecosystem to mainstream prominence. Still, the effects of their actions have barely covered the tip of the adoption iceberg.

There's a long way to go. This drop may seem minuscule and insignificant, but it will pave the way for the ocean's formation.

Reasons to be cheerful...by Jenny Ross

Interim scorecard after one trimester of 2021

It would be tough to imagine a year worse than 2020 but then the one sure thing that last year did teach us was that just when you think things can't get any worse, you soon discover that they can.

It is tough to know where to start but between the pandemic, dysfunctional & divisive politics, the increasing impacts of climate change, an apparent all out assault on civil liberties at many levels and the stress on global financial systems have all intertwined to create a perfect storm of chaos, confusion and uncertainty.

So after 3-4 months of 2021 have 'things' gotten better or worse and are there any real reasons to be optimistic...well, in fairness, it's a bit of a mixed bag, but I tend to be a 'glass half full' kind of person so believe we are not just seeing the so-called 'green shoots of recovery; but may also be seeing some genuinely real systemic changes.

One of the biggest steps forward has been the return of sense and stability to the leadership level of arguably the most important country in the world, the USA. For all the bluster of the former president, he did inflict numerous body blows to his country’s standing in the world and to progress on any number of key fronts.

Timing is everything in politics and his couldn't have been worse as he pulled the US out of the WHO (in the middle of a global pandemic), walked away from the Paris Climate Accord (in the middle of a climate crisis) and abandoned the Iranian nuclear proliferation deal (whilst the Middle East titters on the edge of all out war).

No-one could claim that any of these instruments were perfect, far from it, but they were an awful lot better than the alternatives that were never forthcoming other than childish name-calling and brutishly primitive application of trade sanctions.

It is difficult to know where to stop here, but we haven't mentioned the wall, the 'Muslim' travel ban, Russian collusion, the Supreme Court rigging (twice), ICC, trade wars with the EU and China, North Korea, the abandonment of the Kurds, the Open Skies Agreement, little action on criminal reform or gun safety, some decidedly dodgy dealings by multiple members of his Inner Circle etc etc etc...

That has all gone (mostly) or is in the process of being rectified.

Globally, on climate change, whilst the manifestations have been increasing (fires in California, Australia, flooding all over the world, record typhoons and hurricanes, more rapidly melting polar ice caps and glaciers), action has largely taken a backseat as restrictions on travel and gathering have curtailed discussions and agreements. The upside was that the world had been able to take a 'breather'. little or less human activity or industry led to falls in pollution and a stabilization of CO2 levels...sadly, these have already started to rise following the earth's slow return from its enforced slumbers.

But it has shown what can be done and allowed some technologies to make some significant strides forward, see renewables, electric vehicles, bio-fuels and the switch to 'work from home' models forced on many by the pandemic. Likewise, the focus on food & nutrition in tough ties has led to a return to home growing and food prep, addressing waste within the entire cycle and the needs of the least wealthy everywhere.

The next stage in the global fight to address the issue in time, COP 26, is scheduled to take place in Glasgow, Scotland later this year and the early prenegotiations are already well advanced. Nothing will progress without understanding and some compromise but at least now there is the appearance at last of a realization that we are all genuinely 'in this together'.

The sad fact is that as with the pandemic we possess all the scientific solutions required to address all the issues, what we lack is the political will and leadership to make it happen. That may be changing with the emergence of a more energized, younger generation of politicians and activists who are leading the way at all levels of the battle.

And youth and a generational change may also be apparent elsewhere in the body politic, not just in the resurgent Civil Rights movement in the USA but on the street of Myanmar, Hong Kong and Belarus to name but three. People genuinely concerned and prepared to take a stand in the defense of our very basic human rights.

We used to conduct human sacrifice, persecute witches and legally enslave people...times change, thank goodness and so do laws, but attitudes take longer and many younger people are blind to many of the features of others and their lifestyles that have been problematic for the older generation. They are the future, it is their world to shape, and we should stand aside and let them.

On a personal level, the enforced isolation bought about by the lockdowns and embargo on mixing and travel have afforded me a period of introspection. I now make time to read and listen to music and podcasts and watch stuff on Netflix and Nat Geo. I make more time for other people and tend to value their thoughts and time more than maybe I did before. I see the frustration and the sorrow and I get it, we are all living it but there is so much we can and should do to be more neighborly, to be more environmentally conscious, to be less materialistic, to be better people, to be more involved, to be active physically and mentally. It's not hard but it is necessary.

So what do I see for the rest of the year? I see the climate conference, I see NASA flying a helicopter on Mars, I see more Teslas and more from Elon Musk, I see BitCoin making it to the mainstream and a plethora of blockchain backed industries and initiatives bursting through, I see Big Tech bowing to the public will, I see Apple pursing privacy, I see hope and I see a future...but then I am nothing if not an optimist! Don't let me down, World!

EXPOSED! Orwell’s Blueprint – Chapter One!

We have, in this new collection within the EXPOSED! series, a guide on how to worry less about the man in-front of your house and the guys who follow you home from the supermarket. This EXPOSED! mini-series is more of a mix between the Privacy Cookbook and the EXPOSED! series proper, a totally new approach, complete with illustrations and solutions.

Between 1950 and 1989 the Staatssicherheitsdienst, SSD, commonly known as the Stasi in East German employed 274000 people. Their mission was to spy on everyone who lived in the country. Family members sometimes even reported other family members. Nearly every move anyone made was reported. It was something that the rest of the world struggled to comprehend. It sounded like a bad novel, perhaps closer to 'The Blueprint' Orwell was presenting to us in the book 1984.

In 1984, Apple released the legendary Macintosh and claimed this was why 1984 would never be like 1984.

…where you need to record your name, address, telephone number, photograph and date of birth before you're allowed to enter a shopping mall or a restaurant. Perhaps, for convenience, you have all of this in a little QR code hanging around your neck, or on a bracelet, maybe just scannable on your phone, government sanctioned, of course!. Not the phone but the app you need to show to enter a mall or to go shopping.

Yes, I hear you! Thanks to COVID-19 and contact tracing that is exactly what is in place in many countries.

So imagine now that there are cameras mounted everywhere that monitor every step you take, record every product you touch and even analyze your feelings when you touch a shirt or a packet of instant noodles in the supermarket. Perhaps also how you feel when you pass the alcohol section in the store, or that there is an employee who follows you close by with a clipboard to record how fast you walk, what products you touch and anything the cameras might have missed. Like the smile you give the clerk or the old lady in the vegetable section. Before you arrive at the checkout counter one of the employees might approach you and advise you that the products you've chosen are great, but that they have a similar product that is basically the same but cheaper. It could even be that they are not even telling you but simply exchanging the products you've got with the ones that suit the shop best. The ones that make them the most profit and have you coming back sooner for more because they didn’t last as long as you had hoped.

After leaving the store someone follows you and write down the car you get into, plate, color, year. Perhaps someone follows the car, just to make sure they have that on file as well. You went thru 1 amber traffic light, perhaps it was just switching to red? You stopped at the local butcher, and got 2 steaks, even though you live alone! The butcher informs the local liquor store because if you pass, you might get a nicely pairing red wine to go with your steaks. Once you've picked up the wine, and perhaps also a bottle of scotch, and a couple of six packs as the football at the weekend is coming, and you might have some friends over.

The shop informs your health care provider about what you just bought, and since it wasn’t exactly healthy maybe, who knows, that company will increase your monthly premiums, because, hey, you're at risk…after all you just got steaks, red wine, some beer plus some scotch! Lucky you didn’t grab a pack of chips as well!

At the same time the store starts trading information with other stores where you have been, restaurants where you've eaten and with other people who've been following you around. They also inform other shops nearby as well as their retail partners, just in case you come in. They have already your picture, name, date of birth and know you eat steaks, drink beer and have the occasional scotch.

So now you've finally made it home with your red wine and your steaks and there is someone standing outside your house, taking pictures, looking at everything you're doing, asking every visitor about their QR code, to know their name, address, age and of course if they drink scotch and eat steaks. They also want to know why they're visiting you. Perhaps, if they have sexual relationships with you? Moreover, they need to see their cellphone and all their chats with you, perhaps even copying the entire contents of their SIM and the data on the phone.

A little later the postman arrives, just minutes before you receive a FedEx you have been expecting. The person in front of your house, opens both your letters, takes pictures and makes notes on all of this including the time stamp on each. This data is then synced with the guys at the local shop and all the other shops and restaurants and all the people who followed you around all day.

They log what time you turn on your lights in the evening, when you close your blinds, what time you turn on the TV and, since he has access to your internet, he also knows what you are watching. He records all your texts in and out, regardless of whether they are via a regular SMS or encrypted messaging (which even though they can’t read still has the time received, from whom, where you received it and of course from where the other side send it logged). During this time another person goes through your trash, writes down everything in there and sends that information to everyone you have just had contact with.

Sounds creepy, doesn’t it? Well, just reread the previous text but bear in mind that all of this and more happens each and every day – online!

Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Facebook and so many other companies are looking at you constantly and sharing your information. They're also recommending you to not buy the products you wanted because they (Amazon, you listening?) have a ripoff product that's just as good.

If this sounds a little like the Stasi in East Germany, don’t worry, this information is all obtained legally and only shared with companies! Yeah, right! but it might be stored on poorly encrypted servers or even in plain sight. And if it makes you feel better, the governments have legal access to most of this data (alongside their own databases on you).

Now think about it, you accept this behavior from Amazon, Google, Facebook and co because you didn't even realize that it was happening

And now you know, you're pretty freaked out that this stuff is happening to you in real life, aren't you?

Amazon has been featured on EXPOSED! before and it's worth reading over it again:

Link 1: https://dt.gl/exposed-amazon-the-truly-nasty-side-of-capitalism/

Link 2: https://dt.gl/exposed-amazon-sell-there-at-your-own-risk/

The issues compound...it's not just that these companies collect vast amounts of data on you, it's also how they store and secure it. Data leaks out everywhere (or is 'liberated') in hundreds of thousands of failures or breeches. And not just from Facebook, where you expect that to happen, but also from many other companies 'tech security' giants including Microsoft et al.

This was a large part of why we started the Privacy Cookbook, and our entire team hopes you use it from time to time. Every single bit helps to protect you and your data from the big corporations, and governments and law enforcement around the world. Remember you are not a criminal, you don’t wear an ankle bracelet, and yet you carry one with you most of the time. Your cellphone!

The problem with your cellphone is it collects and sends data about you every minute, regardless of whether you switch off location services and don’t even use a signed in account. Google on Android, but also Apple on iOS, they all send data, all day, every day!

Sure you might say, it's just Google or Apple, but that is not true. Google is an advertising and data collecting monster, and it sells and shares your data with many companies. Facebook is another data collecting giant and many people use the products of both of these companies daily, without even being aware what they are linked in to.

And believe it or not, even if you don’t use Facebook, and perhaps maybe never have, they still have a shadow profile on you.

Link 3: https://dt.gl/exposed-facebook-what-the-zuck-is-he-up-to-now/

Apple is a bit better as it is not an advertising company as such, and lately, in fairness, it seems to be implementing some nice privacy-focused features. But just don’t be blinded to the fact that they can and do collect your data and your location at any given time! Apple also has another flow, they do not have their OS open-source. So, whatever they say, we need to believe.

We can’t give you a blueprint on how to escape these Stasi like companies, but we can illustrate and guide you to giving them less power so this is what we will do! Because privacy is a human right. I don’t want to live in a world where I need to think twice about if my butcher is just about to sell my data. He probably will, but it will be less data than he has on my neighbor! If everyone gives up less data, then that gives the cooperations less power and ultimately returns more freedom to you.