TL;DR

• StarkWare has announced an initiative to scale Bitcoin and Ethereum using zero-knowledge (ZK) technology, backed by a $1 million research fund. The initiative aligns with Satoshi Nakamoto’s vision of enabling everyday micropayments.
• The Bitcoin community is considering a technical proposal known as OP_CAT. If approved, it could enable potential STARK scaling on the Bitcoin blockchain. StarkWare supports OP_CAT and describes it as “the safest path for Bitcoin to scale.”
• StarkWare recently introduced a new scaling framework, ZKThreads, which could prevent trapped funds and enhance the scalability of decentralized applications.
  

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StarkWare, a leading blockchain technology company, has announced a bold initiative to bring Bitcoin to the masses. Backed by a $1 million research fund, the company aims to use zero-knowledge (ZK) technology to scale Bitcoin and Ethereum simultaneously.

The initiative is centered around Scalable Transparent Argument of Knowledge (STARK) cryptography, a form of ZK technology. StarkWare’s announcement aligns with Satoshi Nakamoto’s vision of enabling everyday micropayments and creating a scalable solution to support global Bitcoin transactions.

StarkNet, a recognized permissionless and decentralized rollup for Ethereum, will serve as the cornerstone for the scaling solution of Bitcoin and Ethereum. Rollups function by consolidating hundreds of thousands of transactions off-chain, and then validating them on-chain at a significantly reduced cost.

StarkWare CEO and co-inventor of cheat-proof ZK cryptography, Eli Ben-Sasson, stated in a press release, “Bitcoin today is mighty, but still a fraction of what it can be.”

Boasting a valuation of $8 billion from its latest funding round, StarkNet declared that it initiated trials of zero-knowledge proofs on Bitcoin back in March. This followed their pledge to release their technology under an open-source license.

The Potential of OP_CAT

The Bitcoin community is currently considering a technical proposal known as OP_CAT. If approved, it could pave the way for potential STARK scaling on the BTC blockchain. Ben-Sasson expressed StarkWare’s support for OP_CAT, describing the OP_CAT Bitcoin soft fork as “the safest path for Bitcoin to scale.”

Introducing ZKThreads

This announcement follows StarkWare’s recent introduction of a new scaling framework, ZKThreads. Louis Guthmann, head of product/market strategy at StarkWare, believes that the framework can prevent trapped funds and enhance the scalability of decentralized applications, potentially preventing a recurrence of incidents like the FTX-Alameda collapse.

StarkWare’s ambitious plans demonstrate the potential of ZK technology to unlock and benefit Bitcoin and the broader blockchain community. As the company seeks to promote research into OP_CAT, the future of Bitcoin could be on the brink of a significant transformation.

The post StarkWare’s Million-Dollar Vision: Scaling Bitcoin with Zero-Knowledge Technology appeared first on The Cryptocurrency Post.

TL;DR

1. Tether, the issuer of the world’s largest stablecoin USDT, has launched an official recovery tool to help users transfer their USDT holdings from unresponsive blockchains, ensuring continuous availability and safety of USDT.
2. The recovery tool provides a user-friendly interface for verifying ownership and migrating USDT to supported blockchains, offering a simple solution for potential challenges within the blockchain network.
3. Tether’s recovery tool works seamlessly with widely used browser extension wallets and hardware wallets such as Ledger and Trezor, reflecting the company’s commitment to user safety, service continuity, and cross-functionality.
   

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Tether, the issuer of the world’s largest stablecoin USDT, has announced the launch of an official recovery tool. This tool is designed to help users transfer their USDT holdings from blockchains that are currently unresponsive. This move is part of Tether’s commitment to ensuring the continuous availability and safety of USDT for all its users worldwide.

The announcement comes at a time when USDT reached a significant market capitalization milestone of $100 billion on March 4th. This represents a notable growth of 9% year-to-date. The recovery tool offers a user-friendly interface for verifying ownership and migrating USDT to supported blockchains, thereby ensuring uninterrupted access to funds.

The recovery tool offers a simple remedy for potential challenges within the blockchain network, enabling users to transfer their USDT to a different blockchain that is supported. This aligns with Tether’s philosophy of maintaining the utility, security, and accessibility of USDT across multiple blockchains.

Tether’s Recovery Tool: Seamless Integration with Browser Extension Wallets

The recovery tool features a friendly interface that allows users to quickly verify their addresses on an unresponsive blockchain and choose a recipient address on an alternate supported blockchain. The tool can be used through web and command-line interfaces, catering to a variety of user preferences.

This system is designed to work seamlessly with widely used browser extension wallets and hardware wallets such as Ledger and Trezor, ensuring a secure and straightforward process. Tether prioritizes cross-functionality and ease of access, demonstrated by the availability of USDT on nearly 15 different blockchains, including but not limited to Bitcoin, Ethereum, Polygon, Solana, Tron, and Tezos.

The company conducts stringent due diligence before partnering with a new blockchain to evaluate potential risks and threats, reflecting its proactive approach to risk management and operational resilience. 

Tether’s development of the recovery tool underscores the company’s commitment to user safety and service continuity, particularly in emerging markets and developing countries where USDT is prevalent in daily financial transactions. 

The firm’s announcement underscores the importance of ensuring USDT’s availability and security in all conceivable situations, including those that affect the functioning of blockchains.

The post Tether Unveils Official Recovery Tool Amidst Market Cap Milestone appeared first on The Cryptocurrency Post.

A series of hacks on Twitter and Discord have resulted in the theft of millions of dollars worth of crypto from unsuspecting victims. The hacker, who goes by the name of Pink Drainer, has been linked to several incidents involving fake tokens, phishing links, and social engineering attacks.

One of the most notable hacks was the hijacking of the Twitter account of OpenAI CTO Greg Brockman, who is a prominent figure in the crypto space. The hacker used his account to promote a fake OpenAI token, claiming that it was a new project by the artificial intelligence research company. The hacker also sent direct messages to Brockman’s followers, asking them to join a Discord server and invest in the token.

According to Scam Sniffer, a platform that tracks crypto scams, Pink Drainer has stolen over $3 million from nearly 2000 victims across different blockchains, including Mainnet, Arbitrum, BNB, Polygon, and Optimism. The hacker has also targeted several DeFi projects, such as Evomos, Pika Protocol, and Orbiter Finance, by impersonating journalists from reputable media outlets and sending phishing links to their communities.

7/ The Pink Drainer was first discovered by @tayvano_ https://t.co/ZYLtY8eysx

— Scam Sniffer (@realScamSniffer) June 9, 2023

The phishing links usually redirect the victims to a fake website that mimics the original one but asks them to enter their private keys or seed phrases to access their wallets. Once the victims do that, they lose control of their funds and the hacker transfers them to his own addresses.

Crypto Hacks Took a Serious Plunge in the Last Quarter

Pink Drainer’s activities have been exposed by several crypto enthusiasts and researchers, who have traced his transactions and identified his addresses. However, the hacker has been using various techniques to evade detection and prosecution, such as using crypto mixers, changing addresses frequently, and moving funds across different chains.

The crypto industry has been facing a growing number of hacks and scams in recent years, as hackers exploit the vulnerabilities of decentralized platforms and the lack of regulation and oversight. Hackers stole approximately $400 million from crypto projects across 40 attacks in the first quarter of 2023, representing a 70% decrease compared to the same period in 2022.

The report attributed this drop to the sanctions imposed on Tornado Cash, a crypto mixer that was used by many hackers to launder their proceeds.

The post The Crypto Heist of the Year: A Hacker’s Multi-Platform Attack appeared first on The Cryptocurrency Post.