Future Skills – Indian PM Announces Education Platform for Blockchain 142

The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, announced today the formation of a platform aiming to provide education on various cutting-edge technologies. The initiative will be known as Future Skills.

Future Skills Platform to Focus on Blockchain Technology

The platform was announced today at the World Congress on Information Technology 2018 (WCIT). The event was attended by ICT associations from over 80 different nations.

NASSCOM (National Association of Software and Services Companies), India’s main information technology group, are behind the platform. They are hoping to provide the 18 to 35-year-olds of the nation with a better grounding in cutting-edge technologies. A total of eight areas were mentioned. These included blockchain technology.

The association have previously held workshop sessions on blockchain technology and readily acknowledge its potential. In a post on their website, they write:

“While we have witnessed how the ‘Internet of Information’ has changed our society over the past two decades, we are now entering a phase where Blockchain may do the same by ushering in a new paradigm comprising ‘Internet of Trust’ and ‘Internet of Value’.”

NASSCOM is also amongst those behind India’s first blockchain special interest group. The goal of this is to explore how blockchain technology can impact various industries, both financial and otherwise.

Also today, Narendra Modi Tweeted part of the address he gave to WCIT:

Disruptive technologies such as Block-chain and the Internet of Things, will have a profound impact in the way we live and work. They will require rapid adaptation in our workplaces: PM @narendramodi

— PMO India (@PMOIndia) February 19, 2018

This was shortly followed by a post from Law & Justice, and Information Technology Minister of India, Ravi Shankar Prasad. Prasad included a brief overview of the Future Skills initiative, as well as a video of Modi’s presentation to the Congress:

Today Prime Minister of India announced a historic initiative to re-skill and up-skill the IT workforce of India as per changing technologies. Future Skills platform will ensure competitive advantage of Indian IT in the world as per changing technologies. #WCITIndia2018 pic.twitter.com/Ph7pMOAZXw

— Ravi Shankar Prasad (@rsprasad) February 19, 2018

Despite the news that India seems to be fully embracing the transformative power of blockchain, the leaders of the country still seem opposed to the concept of decentralised cryptocurrencies.

In a budget speech given earlier this month, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley stated:

“The government does not consider crypto-currencies legal tender or coin and will take all measures to eliminate the use of these cryptoassets in financing illegitimate activities or as part of the payment system.”

Also within the speech delivered February 1, Jaitley added:

“… the government will explore use of block chain technology proactively for ushering in [the] digital economy.”

This was followed up by the announcement of a doubling of government spending on the digital economy. Around US$500 million has been reportedly earmarked for the sector.

Despite the Indian government’s focus on the technology behind cryptocurrencies and their perceived hostility towards the first practical application of it, digital currency exchanges in the country have recently made moves to self-regulate. Seven of the major Indian platforms have come together to form the Blockchain and Cryptocurrency Committee. It’s hoped that such initiatives will discourage the central government declaring any sort of blanket ban on cryptocurrencies.

 

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CME Group Announces First Day of Trading of Event Contracts on Bitcoin Futures 4184

CME Group, the world’s leading derivatives marketplace, today announced the first day of trading of event contracts on Bitcoin futures.

“Our new event contracts on Bitcoin futures provide a limited-risk, highly transparent way for a wide range of investors to access the bitcoin market via a fully regulated exchange,” said Tim McCourt, Global Head of Equity and FX Products at CME Group. “These cash-settled, daily expiring contracts will further complement our existing suite of 10 event contracts tied to our benchmark futures markets, which have traded more than 550,000 contracts to-date. In addition, these new contracts will offer an innovative, lower-cost way for investors to trade their views on the up or down price moves of bitcoin.”

CME Group offers event contracts on a growing number of its benchmark futures markets, including gold, silver, copper, crude oil, natural gas, E-mini S&P 500, E-mini Nasdaq-100, E-mini Dow Jones Industrial Average, E-mini Russell 2000 and euro-U.S. dollar foreign exchange futures. Valued up to $20 per contract, these daily options on futures enable participants to know their maximum profit or loss when entering a trade.

CME Group event contracts are listed with and subject to the rules of CME. For more information on this product, please see: www.cmegroup.com/eventcontracts.

As the world’s leading derivatives marketplace, CME Group (www.cmegroup.com) enables clients to trade futures, options, cash and OTC markets, optimize portfolios, and analyze data – empowering market participants worldwide to efficiently manage risk and capture opportunities. CME Group exchanges offer the widest range of global benchmark products across all major asset classes based on interest rates, equity indexes, foreign exchange, energy, agricultural products and metals. The company offers futures and options on futures trading through the CME Globex® platform, fixed income trading via BrokerTec and foreign exchange trading on the EBS platform. In addition, it operates one of the world’s leading central counterparty clearing providers, CME Clearing.

Bank Accounts in Crypto Are Now Real: Meet the New BaaS Solution from Mercuryo 4360

Global payments infrastructure platform Mercuryo introduces the first Banking-as-a-Service product tailored to suit the needs of crypto market participants. Digital asset organisations, such as exchanges, wallet providers, NFT services, DeFi protocols, DAOs, and others can integrate the BaaS solution into their ecosystems and open full-fledged bank accounts. Doing so enables their customers to seamlessly store, transfer, spend, and convert fiat to crypto within a single platform.

BaaS is among the newest financial trends. Crypto organisations have long been struggling with the integration of fiat payments into their platforms. As this industry is still young and far from perfect, it’s difficult for CeFi and DeFi projects to integrate and work directly with traditional finance players.

As the first mover in this field, Mercuryo has identified this challenge and moved to provide an effective solution with its new BaaS product. Creating a seamless bridge between crypto and traditional finance, the integration empowers cryptocurrency users in the UK and the EU to access instant SEPA transfers via their own IBAN accounts for buying, selling, and storing digital assets with no to minimal commissions.

A major advantage of this product is that companies can offer banking products to their clients through integrations and without the trouble of having to receive their own licences. Instead, Mercuryo is responsible for handling all KYC and AML procedures.

“Mercuryo seeks to become a one-stop-shop for both conventional and crypto-native platforms that seek to seamlessly integrate financial infrastructure for crypto and fiat payments alike. Introduction of our BaaS product is a major step in bringing the two worlds together, and we are already seeing great demand for it among our partners and beyond,” says Petr Kozyakov, Mercuryo’s co-founder and CEO.

About Mercuryo

Mercuryo is a global payments infrastructure platform, reinventing the ease of making payments by providing businesses from both the fiat and crypto worlds with a wide range of financial services and products, accessible through single API integration. Since its inception in 2018, Mercuryo has been developing a holistic fintech platform with a wide array of products. The company secured partnerships with over 200 crypto players, working with leading industry names such as MetaMask, Trust Wallet, Ledger, Trezor, 1inch, Gate.io, Nexo, OKX, Bitcoin.com and Bybit.

Join the Plena Smart Wallet Referral Program and Win Big with $1,000,000 in PLENA Tokens! 4682

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Plena Smart Wallet, which is one of the first self-custodial wallets to support Account Abstraction is thrilled to unveil its hotly anticipated referral program that offers rewards worth up to $1,000,000 in $Plena tokens. The program aims to incentivize users to invite their friends and family to join the platform while offering them a chance to earn some significant rewards.

The rules are fairly simple and straightforward. To participate in the program, users simply need to share their referral link with their friends and family. Once a new user downloads the app and signs up through their referral link & successfully completes 3 Transactions on the Fantom chain, both the referring user and the new user will be earning 50 points each. Existing customers can make as many referrals as they like but they must be a new Plena App customer. This means that the more friends and family members you refer, the higher your chances of winning a significant reward.

The program has turned referrals into a game, where users can earn rewards in the form of $Plena tokens for each referral they make & track the leaderboard. ** Limited time offer** In addition to the exciting rewards for individual referrals, Plena Smart Wallet’s referral program offers users the opportunity to win even bigger rewards.The platform is giving away rewards worth up to $100,000 in $Plena tokens to the Top 100 on the leaderboard.

Plena Smart Wallet is a super-friendly self-custodial crypto wallet which offers native support for Account Abstraction. Its revolutionary approach to tackling persistent issues in the cryptocurrency market, such as poor user experience, is enhancing the accessibility of blockchain technology to the general public. Plena’s objective is to onboard the next billion users through its innovative smart contract wallet, which allows users to begin their cryptocurrency journey without requiring extensive knowledge of blockchain.

Say Goodbye to Poor User Experience and Hello to an Exciting Crypto Journey. Join the Next Billion Users Now!

Download The App Now: Playstore | AppStore

Presale for AltSignals New AI Trading Algorithm Raises Over $100k in 24 Hours 4993

After raising more than $100,000 in under 24 hours from their private sale, leading trading signals provider AltSignals is launching its highly anticipated public ASI token presale today (March 7th, 2023) at 12pm GMT. This follows the exciting announcement of ActualizeAI, a pioneering AI-powered trading tool that will soon be available to ASI holders. With the token providing access to the groundbreaking tool, demand is expected to be high when the presale opens.

There are 500 million ASI tokens in total, with 58% of these being made available during the presale event. The opening price is $0.012 per token and this will rise incrementally through 5 stages of the presale to $0.02274 in the final stage – almost a 90% increase from the starting price. The number of tokens available in each stage will decrease as the presale goes on, with 25% allocated to the opening round and just 7% in the closing stage.

With a community of 52,000 traders already behind AltSignals, news of the ASI presale has received an extremely warm reception. The exclusive members-only presale raised over $100,000 in under 24 hours, which is a promising precursor for the public presale. The native investment opportunity will allow AltSignals to put into motion the development of its innovative ActualizeAI trading stack and amplify the accuracy of the trading signals it delivers.

ASI token holders will be granted exclusive access to an AI trading indicator that is set to supercharge trading signals through the use of machine learning, predictive modeling, and NLP (natural language processing), as per the plans laid out in the whitepaper. AltSignals is dedicated to continually improving the volume and accuracy of the signals it provides, and its ActualizeAI tool will truly set it apart from other trading platforms.

Rod Phim, CEO at AltSignals, said, “The development of ActualizeAI could change the game for trading across the markets. We’re really excited to begin the product development that should see our signal accuracy go through the roof as we harness the power of AI to make more accurate predictions”.

Established in 2017, AltSignals first found its fame in the trading community for its AltAlgo™ Indicator, an indicator that uses predictive modeling and technical analysis to combine trading strategies and provide traders with optimal buy and sell opportunities.

The community has grown exponentially over the past five years with users from all over the world relying on and trusting the daily signals AltSignals provides on Forex, Crypto, Binance Futures, CFD, and shares. A wealth of trading reports are available on the AltSignals website, demonstrating the transparency and success of the platform.

Backtests from AltSignals indicators have shown an incredible 70-83% success rate on BTC and ETH trades, so it comes as no surprise that traders continue to return to AltSignals for essential trading alpha and to maintain an edge in the markets. The platform is also backed by almost 500 excellent reviews on Trustpilot, with an average score of 4.9/5.

AltSignals is offering investors holding certain levels of tokens lifetime access to the upcoming ActualizeAI signals service, once it has been developed. This “AI Members Club” will give members the chance to beta-test new tools and earn ASI tokens for their contributions to the club.

The high-utility ASI token is shaping up to be a valuable asset that will unlock indispensable trading tools and alpha for its holders. With the impending launch of ActualizeAI, a tool poised to provide life-changing trading opportunities, demand for the ASI token is expected to be high once the presale opens.

About AltSignals

AltSignals has been providing leading algorithm-based indicators & signals to its 52,000 members since 2017. Priding themselves on transparency, the strength of their service & indicators is backed up by almost 500 excellent reviews on Trustpilot, with an average score of 4.9/5.

AltSignals is most known for its cutting-edge AltAlgo™ indicator tool. This innovative trading indicator tool scans the market in real-time and shows traders at what price is optimal to buy and sell.

In 2023 they announced their plans to develop an AI-based trading algorithm to supercharge their current suite of tools, named ‘ActualizeAI’.

Sony Network Communications and Astar Network’s Joint Web3 Incubation Program Receives Over 150 Registrations 4965

Astar Network, the smart contract platform for multichain, is thrilled to announce that the Web3 Incubation Program it’s co-hosting with Sony Network Communications, Inc., an operating company of the Sony Group, has received an overwhelming response from developers worldwide.

The Incubation Program has received more than 150 registrations since it began accepting applications on February 17, 2023. Registrations are set to close at 11:59 PM Pacific Time on Monday, March 6th.

The Web3 Incubation Program powered by Sony Network Communications and Astar will run from mid-March to mid-June. Both Sony Network Communications and Astar Foundation will review all applications and decide 10 to 15 cohorts. Sony and Astar will be collaborating with Startale Labs, a Singapore-based company founded by Astar Network CEO Sota Watanabe, to organize the incubation program.

Sota Watanabe, CEO of Startale Labs and Astar Network, said, “I am amazed to see our developer community grow this quickly and welcome the new projects joining our Web3 Incubation Program with Sony Network Communications. I’m ready to begin the next stage of our program, when our incubated projects begin to work with an elite group of mentors from AWS, Polychain, Microsoft, and more.”

Sony Network Communications is exploring how blockchain technology can solve various problems in their industry. This Incubation program with Astar Network makes it possible for them to quickly find the relevant Web3 solutions. They will combine their resources and expertise to jointly nurture Web3 projects focused on the utility of NFTs and DAOs.

The program invites participants from around the world, regardless of their Web3 startup phase. It will include learning sessions with global VC firms such as Dragonfly, Fenbushi Capital, and Alchemy Ventures; and Web3 companies, as well as business and technology strategy workshops. The mentorship sessions will feature senior executives and industry veterans including:

  • Ryohei Suzuki, Director at Sony Network Communications Singapore
  • Teemu Pohjola, General manager at Sony R&D Center Brussels lab (Deputy Head)
  • Sota Watanabe, Founder of Astar Network, CEO at Startale Labs
  • Maarten Henskens, Chief Growth Officer at Astar Network
  • Andrew Vranjes, VP of Sales and GM for APAC at Blockdaemon
  • Ben Perszyk, Partner at Polychain
  • Bill Laboon, Head of Education and Grants at Web3 Foundation
  • Dmitry Lapidus, Investment Partner at Dragonfly
  • Wei Shi Khai, General Partner & COO at LongHash Ventures
  • Yuki Yuminaga, Investor & Researcher at Fenbushi Capital
  • Michael Smith Jr., GM, Microsoft for Startups APAC
  • Lillian So, Web3 Lead at AWS Singapore
  • Roy, Partner at HashKey Capital
  • Santiago Balaguer, Parity BD Lead

In mid-June, an offline demo day will be held at the Sony Group headquarters in Tokyo during Japan Blockchain Week. Promising companies will be considered for investment from Sony Network Communications.

About Sony Network Communications

The Sony Group operates a variety of businesses such as Game & Network Services, Music, Pictures, Entertainment Technology & Services, Imaging & Sensing Solutions, and Financial Services. As a business company of the Sony Group, Sony Network Communications is involved in the communication business, IoT business, AI business, and solution service business, and promotes new businesses by utilizing assets within the Sony Group. In April 2022, Sony Network Communications established Sony Network Communications Singapore Pte. Ltd. in Singapore to engage in NFT related development outsourcing and consulting businesses.

About Astar Network

Astar Network supports the building of dApps with EVM and WASM smart contracts and offers developers true interoperability with cross-consensus messaging (XCM) and a cross-virtual machine (XVM). Astar’s unique Build2Earn model empowers developers to get paid through a dApp staking mechanism for their code and the dApps they build.

One of the first parachains to come to the Polkadot ecosystem, Astar is a vibrant network that is supported by all major exchanges and tier 1 VCs. Astar offers the flexibility of all Ethereum and WASM toolings for developers to start building their dApps. To accelerate growth on Polkadot and Kusama Networks, Astar SpaceLabs offers an Incubation Hub for top TVL dApps.

Exclusive Web3 Credential – Web3.com Domain Web3ite Pass Available to Register on March 8th 2023 4978

 

 

Today, Web3.com reveals a new product – Web3ite Pass as an ultimate form of credential in Web3 space.

Domain names has become an essential part of the internet, serving as unique identifiers for websites and online services. However, the traditional domain name system has limitations, such as centralization and limited control for domain owners. That’s where Web3.com comes in.

As part of its commitment to the Web3 community, Web3.com is proud to introduce a new product concept — Web3ite Pass (Ultimate Credential in Web3 Space)

Unique Feature about Web3ite Pass – “Web3.com” suffix

Web3ite Pass is an NFT issued on the Ethereum mainnet, designed as an ecological credential that connects the Web2 and Web3 worlds. Each NFT corresponds to a domain name with a “web3.com”suffix.

At its core, Web3ite Pass is a Web3 digital credential in a form of an Ethereum-based NFT. Its purpose is to serve as an ecological credential that connects the Web2 and Web3 Space. Each NFT corresponds to a domain name with a “web3.com”suffix.

As an example, users can register a Web3ite Pass NFT named “job” on Ethereum using a crypto wallet. This NFT corresponds to the domain name “job.web3.com”. As the owner of this domain name, individual or organization can edit and create a distinctive, customized digital business card that is easy to remember and stands out from the crowd.

Killer Web3 Credential | Digital Business Card

The Web3ite Pass page will integrate

  • a QR code
  • domain name URL
  • various social channels
  • and editor’s choice content

And essentially providing a streamlined and efficient digital business card for individuals or organizations in any industry. It is a highly efficient and simplified digital business card that combines functionality with a unique and memorable design.

During the cold start phase, the target core user groups can be divided into two categories:

  1. To B: Enterprises and project teams that are deeply involved in Web3, or Web2 enterprises that are interested in transitioning to Web3
  2. To C: Web3 working professionals: builders, creators, innovators that want to build value

For business organizations, having such a digital business card primarily solves the pain point of breaking down complex information barriers.

Holders of domain names of well-known enterprises and project teams can integrate all their on-chain and off-chain information on a dedicated page for their organization.
On-chain information includes various types of interaction data on the blockchain, while off-chain information includes social media platforms like Twitter, Discord, TikTok, and Xiaohongshu.
This approach eliminates the need for users to gather scattered information from multiple platforms and, through on-chain data, enables the trustworthy verification of enterprise and project team credibility.

For individual users — developers, content creators, or individual investors, having a Web3 name card can break down information barriers as mentioned above, but most importantly, it can help manage their personal brand.

For instance, if users are an OG, having a domain name card allows for easy visibility of their industry labels, output content, and on-chain data information. Therefore, whether for individual users or B2B users in the industry, having a WEB3 name card with the added advantage of a web3.com domain name is a natural, high-quality endorsement tool.

From Web2 to Web3 – further value points

Unlike traditional Web2 internet domain names, the Web3ite Pass leverages NFTs to bring more possibilities for traditional domain names, enabling an organic connection between on-chain and off-chain information.

  1. NFT based ownership and control. Web3ite Pass is an ERC-721 standard NFT domain name issued on the Ethereum mainnet, symbolizing ownership of the domain name and serving as a key to edit and showcase one’s name card.
  2. Liquidity value. Additionally, NFTs have good liquidity, and for some valuable domain names, users can easily trade and obtain brand premiums.
  3. Accessible & Security. The current smart contract addresses are long and irregular characters, which are difficult to remember and recognize. As a result, it is challenging for users to distinguish between phishing contracts, leading to various hacking attacks and accidental operations. web3.com, however, is a much simple domain name as users can easily remember and access a xxx.web3.com link. This approach enhances the security of smart contract transactions and reduces the likelihood of errors or malicious attacks. For example, by entering “yourname.web3.com” in the address field of a wallet, users can easily transfer funds to the wallet address associated with their Pass.

Future Potential

Web3ite Pass is just the beginning. The team is firm to explore and develop new product forms, with plans for information navigation services based on Web3ite Pass content to bring more traffic and exposure to the domain; Web3 email services, operational marketing tools, and more to bring even greater value to the Web3ite Pass.

How Can Users Get a Web3ite Pass?

To get a Web3ite Pass, simply visit the website and follow the minting process. Each pass is unique, and users can choose the name they want to represent their passes.

Introducing Early Bird Pricing for Web3ite Pass – Get Yours in Today and Save!

Web3.com is excited to announce the early bird pricing for Web3ite Pass – the future of domain names on blockchain. For a limited time, users can get their own Web3ite Pass at a discounted price and be part of the Web3 revolution. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to own a unique and valuable digital asset. By getting a Web3ite Pass now, users will have access to all the benefits of ownership, control, and on-chain identity that comes with it.

Here are the details of the early bird pricing:

  • 90% discount off the regular price
  • Limited time offer, only available until March 29th
  • Same ownership, control, and on-chain identity benefits as regular-priced passes
  • Each address is limited to purchasing 5 domain names regardless of the number of characters.
  • Limited to 2000 domain names for 21 days only, starting from March 8th. Hurry, before they sell out!

The available domains are as follows:

  • 100 three-character domains at a discounted price of $300 (original price $3,000)
  • 300 four-character domains at a discounted price of $100 (original price $1,000)
  • 600 five-character domains at a discounted price of $10 (original price $100)
  • 1000 six-character domains or more at a discounted price of $1 (original price $10)

To take advantage of this offer, simply visit the website web3.com and follow the minting process. Each pass is unique, and users can choose the name they want to represent their passes.

Act now and get the Web3ite Pass at a discounted price. Join the Web3 revolution and take control of the online identity today!

About Web3.com

Web3.com is a comprehensive platform that integrates user identity and ecosystem exploration, with a focus on serving the Web3 user community by helping them explore network forms that align with Web3 paradigms and values, and by guiding new users into the Web3 space.