Latest news with #decentralization
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Gated Communities Are Actually Great for Crypto—Marc Vanlerberghe
For more than a decade, the crypto industry has championed decentralization, transparency, and self-sovereignty. These principles are noble—and in many ways, essential. But, if we're honest, they haven't yet translated into broad, mainstream adoption. The dream of billions of people using blockchain every day is still largely that—a dream. To make it reality, we need to rethink how we build and deliver blockchain-powered experiences. One of the biggest hurdles is usability. The current dominant interface to blockchain —non-custodial wallets—remains too complex for the average person. Managing private keys, writing down 24-word seed phrases, buying native tokens just to perform transactions, navigating multiple chains, bridging assets, KYC'ing repeatedly for each app, and figuring out how to convert crypto to fiat and back. This is not a user experience built for the mainstream. We often ask ourselves why Web3 hasn't 'crossed the chasm.' The answer may be simple: most people don't want to know they're using a blockchain. And frankly, they shouldn't have to. This is where 'gated communities' come in. I use the term gated communities to mean, simply, 'urban planning.' A nice setup that is easy to navigate, offers comfort, security, and curated experiences. And in the case of a neighborhood, yes, also behind a protective layer of some kind. In crypto, gated communities are platforms that abstract away blockchain complexity while retaining its benefits. These environments give users seamless, Web2-style interfaces while the blockchain does the heavy lifting in the background. Custodial wallets, centralized interfaces, and trusted intermediaries are the gatekeepers—not to restrict access to only a special few, but to reduce friction for all. Critics argue this betrays the ethos of decentralization ('not your keys, not your coins'). But this overlooks the broader opportunity: to onboard millions, even billions, of users through intuitive experiences that build real value and solve real problems for users. Not everyone will start their crypto journey managing a cold wallet. Many will begin inside a safe, guided, user-friendly 'gated' experience—and that's okay. We can see this with dApps that successfully serve non-crypto natives. In the U.S., is quietly transforming real estate investing by using blockchain behind the scenes while delivering a simple, intuitive experience for traditional investors. Users can buy fractional ownership in income-generating properties for as little as $50, receive rental income automatically, and resell their shares at any time. What's notable is that Lofty doesn't attract the typical crypto crowd—it appeals to mainstream real estate investors who want passive income without the legal paperwork, title transfers, or tax headaches typically involved in managing properties. Renters can gradually invest in the property they live in, reducing their monthly rent as their equity grows—eventually becoming full owners. Blockchain enables flexibility and trust; but the user experience is pure Web2 simplicity. On the other side of the world, in Kabul, HesabPay enables women to buy food and supplies at local shops using simple plastic cards and SMS confirmations. These transactions settle instantly on-chain, providing transparency and traceability to NGOs and donors. But for the women using them, it's just a card—not a crypto wallet. They never had a bank account and probably will never need one. That's what success looks like: real-world utility without a steep learning curve. In Italy, home renters can buy 'tokenized' solar panels through Enel's blockchain-enabled app—even if they live in apartments or can't install anything physically on their roof. The app tracks the energy generated by those panels elsewhere and deducts it from the user's electricity bill. The blockchain ensures automatic accounting and real-time settlement; the user experience is intuitive, app-based, and familiar. In online chess, players can now earn rewards for participating in games, tournaments, or contributing to the community—without ever knowing that the loyalty points they're collecting are blockchain tokens. Worldchess, the official organizer of the FIDE Grand Prix, has launched a blockchain-based rewards program that allows players to accumulate and redeem points simply by playing and engaging. The underlying infrastructure ensures transparency and portability, but for the users, it feels like any other modern loyalty program. The technology is invisible—the experience is seamless. These examples demonstrate that blockchain is not a product. It's an infrastructure layer. And like all great infrastructure, its job is to disappear. Over time, we believe these gated communities will serve as ramps—onboarding users gradually into more decentralized, self-sovereign experiences. But to get there, we need a new generation of tools that marry user control with ease of use. Self-custody will evolve. Social recovery mechanisms (like those being developed by the DeRec Alliance) will make it possible to recover wallets without remembering seed phrases. Verifiable credentials will let users carry their identity securely across apps and services, enabling one-time KYC that persists across platforms. And complete fee abstraction will mean users never need to touch native gas tokens unless they want to. You'll sign in and approve transactions with your fingerprint, and access any app without even realizing you're interacting with a blockchain. That's the path forward: a world where the blockchain fades into the background, and delightful, safe, user-centric experiences come to the fore. If we're serious about mainstream adoption, we must stop building for crypto-native users alone. The future belongs to builders who can merge the best of Web2 design with the power of Web3 infrastructure—without making users choose between them. Gated communities are not the end-goal. But they are the best way to get millions of people in the door. And once they're in, we can invite them to explore everything else that the open world of blockchain has to in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Arab News
7 days ago
- Politics
- Arab News
Syrian Kurdish authorities reiterate call for autonomy after Damascus meeting
DAMASCUS: Syria's Kurdish authorities called again on Sunday for a system of government that preserves a measure of their de facto autonomy, days after Damascus rejected 'any form' of Abdi of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) — the Kurdish administration's de facto army — and interim President Ahmed Al-Sharaa first struck an accord in March to integrate Kurdish institutions into the state, but its implementation has been held up by differences between the two pair met again on Wednesday in the presence of a US envoy to discuss the stalled efforts, but Damascus afterwards reiterated its opposition to 'any form of division or federalization,' and called for SDF fighters to be absorbed into the a statement Sunday, the Kurdish administration called 'for a pluralistic democratic system, social justice, gender equality, and a constitution that guarantees the rights of all components' of society.'Syrians have suffered for decades from a centralized system that monopolized power and wealth, suppressed local will, and dragged the country into successive crises,' it said.'Today, we aspire to be effective partners in building a new Syria, a decentralized Syria that embraces all its people and guarantees their rights equally.'The Kurds control vast swathes of territory in Syria's north, including oil and gas forces, with the support of a Washington-led coalition, played a vital role in the fight against the Daesh group in Syria, which ultimately led to the jihadist group's territorial an interview with the channel Kurdistan 24 on Wednesday, US ambassador to Turkiye and special envoy to Syria Tom Barrack said that while he recognized the SDF's role in the fight against the IS group, it had to accept the 'reality' that 'the only future path for them is Damascus.'
Gizmodo
08-07-2025
- Business
- Gizmodo
Jack Dorsey's New Private Messenger App Doesn't Need an Internet Connection
What has Jack Dorsey, the founder of Twitter (now X) been up to lately? Among other things, creating experimental little projects, like a new private messenger that doesn't need the internet to function. On Sunday, Dorsey announced the beta launch of a new messaging app that he says relies on mesh networks to pass messages from user to user via the power of Bluetooth technology. The service sounds vaguely like Amazon's Sidewalk project (which similarly used mesh networks to power IoT devices), and which we advised against using back in 2020. According to Dorsey, his messenger—called Bitchat—allows for decentralized, private communication, in such a way that does not require internet infrastructure. In a white paper he published to his Github page, Dorsey explained a little bit about how Bitchat is supposed to work: 'bitchat addresses the need for resilient, private communication that doesn't depend on centralized infrastructure,' the page says. 'By leveraging Bluetooth Low Energy mesh networking, bitchat enables direct peer-to-peer messaging within physical proximity, with automatic message relay extending the effective range beyond direct Bluetooth connections.' Dorsey's thing has always been decentralization. That's part of the reason that he helped launch Bluesky, the decentralized-ish microblogging alternative to X that started as a Twitter side project. Some quibble over whether Bluesky is a decentralized project on the same level as other Fediverse sites, though it's certainly much more so than Elon Musk's monstrosity. Mesh networks work by pooling power and digital resources between devices as a sort of bandwidth-sharing arrangement. In this case, a peer-to-peer messaging system relays messages along from device to device, while keeping the communications encrypted. Dorsey claims the service is private because it requires no 'phone numbers, emails, or permanent identifiers' to function—which sounds pretty good. Dorsey also claims the messenger offers end-to-end encryption, which is what you want. The app's lack of reliance on internet infrastructure is intended to make it 'resilient to network outages and censorship,' which also sounds good on paper. At the same time, because the project is so new, it's still unclear just how technically sound all of Dorsey's claims are. For now, Bitchat is a lot like Bluesky was when it started: a weird little experiment that seems promising but hasn't proven itself yet. Jack doesn't always seem to be super interested in taking a consistent executive role (some claimed that he wasn't all that involved in day-to-day operations at Twitter), and seems content to start new projects and not really follow through with them (he notably bowed out of Bluesky just as it was taking off as an organization). That said, Bitchat, like Bluesky, certainly provides the opportunity for Dorsey and other like-minded individuals to take off running in a new direction, which is never a bad thing.
Globe and Mail
08-07-2025
- Business
- Globe and Mail
Imagen Network (IMAGE) Taps Grok AI to Power Scalable Personalization in Decentralized Social Systems
Integration with Grok enables adaptive, user-specific content curation and AI-driven social tooling across multichain environments. London, United Kingdom--(Newsfile Corp. - July 8, 2025) - Imagen Network, the decentralized social platform blending blockchain with artificial intelligence, has integrated Grok AI to supercharge real-time personalization across its AI-powered ecosystem. This move introduces scalable, context-aware intelligence into user feeds, profile recommendations, and community engagement tools across Ethereum, BNB Chain, and Solana. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: By leveraging Grok's advanced large language models, Imagen now delivers adaptive AI responses tailored to user interaction history, sentiment patterns, and content preferences-without compromising decentralization. This enables creators and communities to customize their social experiences in real time, aligning their feeds, filters, and moderation tools with individual and node-level needs. The integration enhances Imagen's social node system by allowing AI-generated suggestions, smart community onboarding, and automated moderation tuned to behavior and tone. These capabilities will make decentralized interaction more intuitive, expressive, and context-aware for users and developers alike. As Imagen scales globally, Grok AI's inclusion strengthens the platform's ability to deliver highly personalized, censorship-resistant, and intelligent social tools-anchored in Web3 sovereignty and user-owned data. About Imagen Network Imagen Network is a decentralized social platform that blends AI content generation with blockchain infrastructure to give users creative control and data ownership. Through tools like adaptive filters and tokenized engagement, Imagen fosters a new paradigm of secure, expressive, and community-driven networking. About KaJ Labs KaJ Labs is a decentralized research organization focused on developing innovative solutions in artificial intelligence, blockchain, and Web3 infrastructure. The organization invests in high-impact projects that prioritize decentralization, transparency, and community empowerment. KaJ Labs supports platforms like Imagen Network to build intelligent, user-owned ecosystems that redefine digital experiences. Media Contact Dorothy Marley KaJ Labs +1 707-622-6168 media@ Social Media Twitter Instagram To view the source version of this press release, please visit
Entrepreneur
07-07-2025
- Entrepreneur
Jack Dorsey Announces Bitchat Messaging App
Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey went on X to reveal a new messaging app called Bitchat that will not require internet connectivity. Twitter co-founder and CEO of Block Jack Dorsey launched the beta version of a new peer-to-peer messaging app on TestFlight. Unlike WhatsApp and others like it that rely on internet connectivity and central servers, Dorsey says that Bitchat operates entirely over Bluetooth mesh networks, promising true decentralization and privacy for its users. He made "an ugly whitepaper describing protocol" available on GitHub. CNBC broke down the tech and its features. In essence, Bitchat allows users to communicate via Bluetooth-connected devices. But here's where it gets interesting: "As users move through physical space, their phones form local Bluetooth clusters and pass messages from device to device, allowing them to reach peers beyond standard range — even without Wi-Fi or cell service." Related: Jack Dorsey Says Intellectual Property Law Shouldn't Exist, and Elon Musk Agrees: 'Delete All IP Law' Messages that are sent via Bitchat are encrypted from end to end and do not live in the cloud — they are only stored on devices and are set to delete. The message "never touch centralized infrastructure," reports CNBC, "echoing Dorsey's long-running push for privacy-preserving, censorship-resistant communication." Dorsey's post on X has received over 1.3 million views, with beta testers eager to jump in. The TestFlight page is no longer available after hitting its 10,000-user maximum. my weekend project to learn about bluetooth mesh networks, relays and store and forward models, message encryption models, and a few other things. bitchat: bluetooth mesh vibes. TestFlight: GitHub: — jack (@jack) July 6, 2025
