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Africa leads the way in open access research, says expert – University World News

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AFRICA

Neylon questioned how capacity and infrastructure would be maintained, sustained and grown to support future leadership to advance African scholarship, during a webinar as part of Open Access Week organised by the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf). Open Access Week started in 2008 and has been observed globally this year from 19 to 25 October, with the theme: Open with Purpose: Taking action to build structural equity and inclusion.

According to Neylon, an overview of the progress made towards open access scholarship shows that there has been massive progress over the last decade.

Kenyatta, Venda among top 100 in the world

Speaking to the theme Open Access to Scholarly Literature: Progress and evidence of African leadership, Neylon said several African institutions, including Kenyatta University in Kenya and the University of Venda in South Africa, were among the top 100 universities in the world using open access research.

He said the data showed that there was a wide range of European institutions, also Latin American and Asian but a significant number of African institutions, that were performing better in terms of delivering open access.

African countries are consistently showing very high levels of open access, and again, showing it right from 2010, from early in this process [of developing open access] through to the current play on sound leadership that has existed, over a very long period of time, said Neylon, citing Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa as examples of countries with success in advancing open source scholarship.

According to Neylon, one of the key reasons for the African continents success in open source access, which has seen many outperform European and North American institutions, may be due to philanthropic funders such as the National Institute of Health and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, while in South Africa the National Research Foundation has been playing a pivotal role. .Volume of open access publishing increasing

Using several graphs presented on screen, Neylon said the statistics showed the development of open access among global universities over the past eight or nine years, particularly on the African continent, adding, ...we are seeing increases in the volume of open access publishing, we're seeing increases in the number of open access to repositories.

At the moment, and we have seen a shift over the last 10 to 15 years from levels of open access around 10%, to global levels of open access of around about 50%, 60% and 70%, he said.

Neylon said that this was an astounding increase in the volume of research content that is accessible for free, at least for those that have access to high-speed internet. There are African institutions that are performing in terms of open access at a level which is equal with the best in the world, he said.

Code of conduct for researchers

But while several African nations were depicted as models of success in open source access, South Africas national science body ASSAf warned of uncertainty and the need for further guidance on the application of privacy data laws concerning research. It highlighted the importance of developing a code of conduct for research in terms of the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA), colloquially called the POPI Act, to ensure certainty, transparency and clarity in the use of personal information for research.

ASSAf believes there should be a code to guide the use of personal information for research in all sectors (including health, social science, genomics, etc) and has begun working on a process to facilitate the development of a Code of Conduct for Research, by engaging stakeholders, including researchers, ethicists and legally trained people.

Stringent penalties, with fines up to ZAR10 million (US$615,000), apply as part of the countrys privacy laws governing data. It became effective on 1 July 2020 with enforcement set to begin on 1 July 2021. POPIA strives to balance the right to privacy with other rights and interests, including the free flow of information within the country and across its borders.

ASSAf will appoint a steering group to guide the development of the code next month, with a writing team due to start by December and a draft expected for comment and discussions by March 2021. Pending further discussions and comments by May, it is envisaged that the code would be submitted by July to Information Regulator Pansy Tlakula for approval.

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Africa leads the way in open access research, says expert - University World News

A comprehensive list of reasons why pair programming sucks – The Next Web

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This article was originally published on .cult by Mynah Marie. .cult is a Berlin-based community platform for developers. We write about all things career-related, make original documentaries and share heaps of other untold developer stories from around the world.

I fell in love with programming because of the feeling of losing myself in ideas and concepts while being completely alone for hours on end. Theres just something about it, you know?

When I decided to enroll in a coding Bootcamp, I thought it would give me the opportunity to meet other people just like me. Little did I know, I was about to meet my nemesis: pair programming.

There are a lot of things I like about Agile development. I even do, now, believe in the power of pair programming. But its not because I can see the benefits of this technique that I necessarily like it. In fact, I deeply hate it. Not because I think its not effective, just because, in my case, it took all the fun out of programming.

[Read:What audience intelligence data tells us about the 2020 US presidential election]

Here are some benefits of pair programming that I personally experienced:

After a few days of Bootcamp, I had my first traumatizing pair programming experience.

We were solving basic JS challenges. I was the navigator and he was the driver. Even though I hated the fact of not being able to type the code myself, I tried to make the most out of the exercise by asking a lot of questions:

At some point, without any warning, my partner got up and left the room leaving me to my puzzlement. Turns out, someone asking loads of questions every two minutes is pretty annoying to most people.

And there started my long descent to hell.

Goodbye, the good old days when Id program for 18 hours straight from the comfort of my bed.

Goodbye, the peaceful moments with myself when Id spend days, sometimes weeks before thinking of talking to another human being.

Goodbye, the joys of working on ideas of my own.

One day, while I was at an emotional all-time low, I confessed to one of the instructors and told him that, literally, I hate pair programming.

His answer couldnt have surprised me more: Oh! yeah pair programming is horrible.

Finally, my aversion was acknowledged!

Im not against pair programming. In fact, I really do believe its great for some people. I even think it couldve been great for me if I wouldve been paired with more experienced pair programmers. But since we were all learning, most students made horrible partners (me included).

I know there are other people like me out there, who suffered at the hand of this technique and never dared to speak up because, in some cases, it can close doors to potential jobs.

But Im not looking for a job anymore, so I dont care.

So for your entertainment, heres a comprehensive list of the reasons why I hate pair programming:

Agile, I love you. You taught me the value of working in teams and learning from one another. The experience was horrendous but meaningful nonetheless.

Im now a freelancer. Back to peace, working for hours on end from the comfort of my home, with minimum human contact. The reality which became a dream is now my reality once more, with the added benefit of financial rewards.

I think I found my path.

Read next: This GPT-3-powered tool generates new ideas for your terrible blog

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A comprehensive list of reasons why pair programming sucks - The Next Web

The whys and hows of keeping your cloud secrets – ITProPortal

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Putting personal or business secrets and credentials up in the cloud is something most users of web-enabled devices are already doing unwittingly. For example, many are using password managers and form apps or browser extensions to conveniently access login details across devices. It is not a good idea to do this without the right security measures, though.

Storing sensitive information in the cloud requires more than just standard security solutions. The handling of passwords, login details, API tokens, SSH keys, private encryption keys, private certificates, and system-to-system passwords can potentially create vulnerabilities frequently targeted by social engineering and advanced cybersecurity attacks. Organizations need to find a way to make the most of the cloud in storing secrets without compromising security.

A Ponemon Research survey reveals that 90 percent of organizations have been hacked at least once. More than half of those surveyed said that they had little confidence in addressing further attacks. Passwords or credentials are the most common target of hacking. As revealed by the 2019 Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report, around 8 out of 10 breaches exploit compromised credentials.

Why is it important to raise the need to secure cloud secrets? It is because many processes that involve passwords and other secrets are handled without many organizations taking security seriously. A 2019 study by North Carolina State University researchers, for example, exposes the vulnerabilities of GitHub repositories. The study found that over a hundred thousand repositories contain app secrets in source codes.

The study revealed that authentication secrets such as API and cryptographic keys appear to be unprotected in a wide variety of projects. This issue does not only affect open source projects. Even private source code repositories are also prone to unauthorized access to secrets.

The cloud is a highly convenient environment for storing various data. However, it is still relatively new for many organizations. As such, only a few thoroughly understand how it works let alone how to ensure security in it.

Interestingly, CompTIA found that an overwhelming majority of organizations that use cloud services trust the security afforded by their cloud providers. Despite concerns, most cloud users report being confident or very confident (net 85 percent) in their cloud service providers security, the study writes. However, the same organizations also said they are reluctant in storing certain types of data in the cloud.

Even with high confidence in cloud security, many firms are still unwilling to store certain types of data there, the CompTIA study notes. Firms of all sizes hesitate to put onto the cloud their confidential company financial data, credit card information, employee HR files, confidential IP and trade secrets, customer contacts, and data covered by regulations.

The findings are understandably somewhat contradicting in light of the alarmingly high levels of cyber attacks businesses are exposed to. Organizations, however, can use secrets management procedures that come with the platforms or apps they are using. Also, they can turn to third-party secrets management tools like Akeyless to address the dilemma.

These tools provide a secrets management solution that ensures secrets are safe through distributed fragments cryptography and ephemeral secrets delivery.

To secure company secrets on the cloud, it is necessary to limit visibility and prevent unauthorized access. This entails encryption without creating cumbersome procedures and tedious processes that may only end up creating vulnerabilities possibly because employees miss a step or are tempted to take shortcuts.

Different platforms and applications come with different methods of securing secrets. Kubernetes, for example, has a feature aptly named Secrets, which makes it possible to save and manage passwords and other sensitive information. The Kubernetes website provides comprehensive details on how to use this feature, which is good, but imagine having to learn how to manage secrets with different platforms and applications.

Employees may have issues with this idea when working with multiple platforms and apps. It is not only tiresome; it can also create vulnerabilities in a cybersecurity system.

This is where secrets management solutions come in handy. Akeyless, for example, provides a unified interface and set of methods to secure secrets regardless of the types of secrets and apps and platforms used. Its basically vault-as-a-service, with plugin capability for popular cloud platforms, including Kubernetes, Terraform, Ansible, Docker, Jenkins, CircleCI, Puppet, Chef, Slack, and many others. This simplifies and enhances the security of secrets management with these platforms.

This results in a seamless way to handle secrets across systems and environments. In general, they are designed to automate the security procedures vital in protecting secrets. In cases when there is no encryption implemented, they enforce high-level encryption. They then automatically encrypt and decrypt data as needed by users.

Secrets management platforms are particularly useful to DevOps teams. Privileged access management (PAM) expert Tyler Reese of DevOps.com acknowledges the tendency of many teams to overlook essential security practices. Whats more, in an environment that relies heavily on code, weve seen time and time again careless developers leaking confidential information through APIs or cryptographic keys on sites such as GitHub, Reese says.

This post may sound like a recommendation to use third-party secrets management tools, but it is not the main point. The goal here is to emphasize how important it is to secure organization secrets being stored in or transmitted to the cloud.

Generally, there is nothing wrong in learning and using the specific procedures in protecting secrets for particular platforms or applications. However, some simply do not have adequate security measures in place. The Kubernetes Secrets feature briefly discussed earlier, for instance, does not perform encryption. With it, secrets are stored in Etcd in base64, which only undertakes encoding, not encryption. As such, anyone who is designated as an admin for the Kubernetes cluster can read the secrets saved in the clustera potential security loophole.

So why do you need to secure your secrets on the cloud? Its because cybersecurity attacks abound and they frequently target secrets stored in the cloud. Also, some cloud platforms and applications do not provide adequate protection for secrets. How do you protect secrets? By learning and using the specific secrets management processes associated with certain platforms or applications. If this is too cumbersome and inefficient, the logical option is to use a unified secrets management solution.

Oren Rofman, senior technology writer

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The whys and hows of keeping your cloud secrets - ITProPortal

EXCLUSIVE: Q and A with Julian Assange’s lawyer Jennifer Robinson – Independent Australia

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Julian Assange's lawyer of ten yearsJennifer Robinson speaks with Rhys Muldoon about Assange's extraordinary trial andthe relationship between the worlds most famous political prisoner and huckster in chief, Donald Trump.

History will not look kindly on the way we have allowed him to be treated ... on the way democratic governments have treated this publisher.

How have your views on democracy changed since you met Julian?Before I met Julian, I hadn't really engaged as critically as I now have with the subject of democracy and what it means. Going back to 2010, when I first met him, he was a guy with a backpack, sleeping on people's couches in London. And yet he was America's public enemy number one and perceived to be one of the most powerful men in the world, and that's when I properly understood the value of information in a democracy,and the value of controlling information for governments and the importance of revealing information governments don't want us to know.

The information we didn't know before WikiLeaks about war crimes, human rights abuse and corruption. What does democracy really mean if we don't know what we're voting for?

What sort of relationship did Assange have with Trump in 2016? Did he deliberately help Trump for his own personal gain?Its obvious the Trump Administration has brought unprecedented indictments against Assange, that should be all you need to know about that relationship

If WikiLeaks had received information about Trump during that election, they have said that they wouldve published it. If they had not published the information about the DNC during that [2016 U.S.] Election, if they had sat on that, WikiLeaks has said that couldve been criticised as censorship, or as having helped [Hillary] Clinton. The New York Times said they would have published the material had they received it.

There was no doubt there was public interest in that publication during the U.S. Election, as a New York Court has found. Judge John Koeltl emphasised the "newsworthiness" of these publications, describing them as "plainly of the type entitled to the strongest protection that the First Amendment offers".

Where are we right now? When I spoke to you just after the trial, you said the trial had been quite gruelling.Yes case is finished,judgement is due in January. Whatever happens, we will appeal. All the way.

How is Julian?Obviously, its very difficult. Hes in a high-security prison. Hes been under some sort of restriction since 2010. Ten years. This is someone who has won journalism awards and been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for the same publications for which he is now in prison and faces 175 years in prison in the United States.

Youve known him for a long time. Has his philosophy changed?No,absolutely not. No.

Is he writing? Is he writing a memoir? Is he putting pen to paper?I hope he does.

But he wouldnt be allowed near a computer for example?He has a court-mandated laptop because of the sheer volume of the material he needs to review for the extradition case. But you can only read material on it. He cant type or make notes.

Our legal team has had huge difficulties in having sufficient access to him to properly prepare his case.

Could you describe the difference in his eyes, his face, his demeanour from the day you met him to now?When he was dragged out of the [Ecuadorian]Embassy last year, and people were shocked at how he looked, I was not shocked. I have watched his slow decline.

History will not look kindly on the way democratic governments have treated this publisher.

Is there an aspect of this case that you think people have missed?Maybe some historical aspects that not many people have picked up on: the Pentagon Papers leak by Daniel Ellsberg.What was interesting was that he was saying the prosecution case was thrown out, with prejudice, because of the abusive tactics used by the Nixon Administration, including breaking into his psychiatrist's office.

In Julians case, there has been unlawful spying on me, as his lawyer, on our legal teamand on Julians medical appointments. All of this abusive conduct and behaviour at the behest of the United States. Its important to ask: What should we accept from a government today?

What is acceptable today seems pretty primitive. It seems like weve gone backwards.The kind of abuse the Nixon Administration engaged in with Dan Ellsberg, how he was vilified,for what people now recognise was the right thing to do. He revealed what was going on in the Vietnam War. Now he is revered as a hero. The tactics used against him by the Nixon Administration were enough to get the case kicked out in the United States.

In Julians case, the Trump Administration seized legal material from the Ecuadorean Embassy, doctors and lawyers have been spied upon. Dan Ellsberg says this [the Assange trial]is Nixon and some, butthe case continues.

Who is after Assange? Is it the U.S. intelligence agencies? Is it the Administration?And is there a difference?As we have learned from the Spanish criminal case against the chief of the security company that was providing security in the Ecuadorean embassy, Trumps ally and biggest funder, Sheldon Adelson, directed this company to collect information about Julian, and us as his lawyers, and give it to the United States.

Assange was being pursued before Trump. Whats been the difference between Trumps Administration and Obamas?Massive. Look, weve known since 2013 that the Obama Administration was concerned about pursuing an indictment because of the First Amendment implications and did not indict him. The Trump Administration? No concerns, they pushed ahead with it.

The timeline is clear. If you look at WikiLeaks after Trump came to power, WikiLeaks published 'Vault 7', with revelations about the CIA. In April 2017, Mike Pompeogave his famous speech where he said they were working to take down WikiLeaks and that Julian Assange would face prosecution, and will not benefit from First Amendment protection. The next week Jeff Sessions said it was a priority to prosecute Assange. The indictment came later and from the Trump Administration.

Why was there such bad blood between Julian Assange and Hilary Clinton?What do you mean by bad blood or their relationship? He is a publisher who has been publishing material in line with WikiLeaks stated mission, including the Collateral Murder video, the Afghan and Iraq war material and the U.S. diplomatic cables in 2010 and 2011, which were published by WikiLeaks when she was Secretary of State.

WikiLeaks later published material it received about her campaign during the U.S. Election in 2016.

In the same period, WikiLeaks published a huge amount of material about the CIA, about Syria, about Saudi Arabia, about Yemen, about surveillance technology and trade, about Guantanamo, about a bribery case suppression order in Australia and more. A lot of powerful people arent happy about WikiLeaks revelations and what they have shown the public.

Have you noticed a change in tone regarding the pursuit of Assange over the fiveyears?There is no question about the pursuit of Assange since the Trump Administration came to power. He was not indicted by the Obama Administration. He was only indicted after Trump came to power.

Why does it seem like Assange helped Trump? Has Trumpjust turned on him?All you need to look at is what Trump has done since he came to power. It is the Trump Administration that has pursued him with a 175-year indictment.

HasWikiLeaks published much against Trump?Theyve publicly asked on Twitter for material, they asked for Trumps tax returns, but they havent received them. They can only publish what they receive. They dont hack.

Rhys Muldoon is an Independent Australia columnist, actor, writer and director. You can follow Rhys on Twitter @rhysam.

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EXCLUSIVE: Q and A with Julian Assange's lawyer Jennifer Robinson - Independent Australia

Justin Amash backs Tulsi Gabbard resolutions urging U.S. to drop leak cases against Snowden, Assange – Washington Times

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Rep. Justin Amash threw his support Wednesday behind congressional resolutions calling for the U.S. government to abandon its cases against wanted leakers Edward J. Snowden and Julian Assange.

Mr. Amash, Michigan Libertarian, announced on Twitter that he signed on to become a co-sponsor of separate, similar resolutions urging the government to drop the charges facing the two secret-spillers.

Both resolutions were introduced by Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, Hawaii Democrat, and had already gained slight bipartisan support before Mr. Amash the only registered Libertarian in Congress joined in.

I made these resolutions tripartisan, Mr. Amash, a former Republican who left the GOP last year, said on Twitter where he announced supporting Ms. Gabbards two proposals.

Mr. Snowden, a 37-year-old former National Security Agency contractor, is wanted in the U.S. to face charges related to admittedly leaking classified material to members of the media in 2013.

Federal prosecutors charged Mr. Snowden under the U.S. Espionage Act shortly after he revealed himself to be the source of the NSA leaks, but he has lived in Russia ever since and avoided trial.

Mr. Assange, a 49-year-old Australian, was charged last year under the Espionage Act with crimes stemming from his longtime role as founder and publisher of the WikiLeaks anti-secrecy website.

WikiLeaks began publishing classified U.S. diplomatic and military documents in 2010, and Mr. Assange has been charged in connection with allegedly soliciting, receiving and releasing them online.

Mr. Assange is currently jailed in London while a British court weighs honoring a request for his extradition to the U.S. Moscow does not have an extradition agreement with Washington.

The resolutions from Ms. Gabbard, a former Democratic presidential hopeful, state the U.S. should drop all charges facing Mr. Snowden and Mr. Assange and abandon efforts to extradite the latter.

Rep. Matt Gaetz, Florida Republican, co-sponsored the Snowden resolution with Ms. Gabbard when it was introduced in September and had been its only other supporter before Mr. Amash signed on.

More recently, Rep. Thomas Massie, Kentucky Republican, co-sponsored the Assange resolution when Ms. Gabbard offered it earlier this month. They are its only co-sponsors besides Mr. Amash.

President Trump, a Republican, previously called Mr. Snowden a traitor and suggested he should be executed for leaking secrets about the NSAs vast surveillance operations and abilities.

Mr. Trump revealed in August he was open to pardoning Mr. Snowden, however. Mr. Gaetz, a close ally to the president, subsequently called publicly for the president to follow through.

The president applauded WikiLeaks during his 2016 election campaign when the website published material damaging to Mr. Trumps opponent in the race, former Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.

Yet Mr. Trump has claimed ignorance of WikiLeaks and Mr. Assange when asked about either while in office.

Ms. Gabbard unsuccessfully campaigned for the Democratic presidential nomination ultimately received by Joseph R. Biden. Mr. Amash briefly considered running for the Libertarian nomination but later decided against it. Neither is running to be reelected to Congress, and both are accordingly set to leave office early next year.

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Justin Amash backs Tulsi Gabbard resolutions urging U.S. to drop leak cases against Snowden, Assange - Washington Times

Cryptocurrency Is Just a Minor Threat to the State- CoinDesk – CoinDesk

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Are cryptocurrencies a new form of money and, if so, do they threaten state power?

Our friend Nic Carter has recentlycommentedon these questions indialoguewith the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. We would like to add our perspective and thoughts on this, as we believe there is value to be derived from discussing these matters in depth. For better and worse, we believe that blockchains such as Bitcoin, Ethereum and Handshake (in which I am involved) have features that make them a novel threat to the powers that states derive from currency issuance but only a very marginal threat. This fairly mild conclusion flows from more controversial premises.

Steven McKie is a founding partner and managing director at Amentum Capital, developer on HandyMiner and HandyBrowser for Handshake and host of the BlockChannel podcast. A version of this article first appeared on Amentum's blog.

The New York Fed writers name three kinds of money: fiat money, money with intrinsic or commodity value and claim-backed money. Without getting lost in the weeds, we think this overcomplicates things. All money that we can think of falls into two categories: either it has intrinsic value (like edible grains) or it doesnt. If it doesnt, then its value comes from the supposition that someone else values it.

This mysterious someone else might be totally unspecified, as when we suppose someone will pay us for gold; or it might include a specific party, such as a state, that promises to take the money in exchange for, e.g., discharging tax obligations. Bitcoin, like gold in the post-gold-standard era, falls into the former category. It has no intrinsic value and nobody in particular has promised to exchange anything for it. We just guess that someone will.

But we should not be surprised that the worlds most popular kinds of money are the ones that states explicitly promise to honor. For states, such promises are an extremely important instrument of their power. For example, by only accepting dollars as tax payment, the United States obliges its hundreds of millions of people to make sure they have dollars handy. Because of this, everyone in the world knows they can sell their dollars to someone (i.e., to U.S. residents). Moreover, everyone knows that by accumulating dollars they gain certain leverage over the United States. This situation enables the United States to print its own money and in so doing, project its power around the world.

The power to print money also gives states another kind of power: It enables them to maximize their productivity. By increasing the money supply, they can pull more people on the margins of the economy into the productive process. But this comes at the cost of the scarcity of money and, because it puts the newly minted money directly into the pockets of the less-powerful, tends to decrease the power of those who have already accumulated a lot of money. Hence, artificial constraints of the money supply, like the gold standard, are often associated with extremely conservative politics. Constraining the money supply hurts productivity, but it preserves social hierarchies.

This is where the more benign hopes of transcending nation-states mix with the darker fantasies of so-called bitcoin maximalists. On the one hand, a meaningful alternative to national currencies could allow people in abusive regimes not to rely on their governments worthless promises. On the other hand, a mechanistically fixed supply of money could put an unequal social hierarchy beyond the reach of democratic power, as the gold standard once did.

Bitcoin, in this respect, is very much like gold. And like gold, it poses no active threat to state currencies or state power. For the value of state currencies as described above is predicated upon the actual, practical power of states. Throughout modern history, the preeminent reserve currency has been the coin of the worlds preeminent military power. Only if states lose their status as the main global powers are their currencies likely to follow suit.

Cryptocurrencies are only playing around the margins of this reality. Still, they can play an interesting role because they have features that prior non-state currencies did not. For example, they can facilitate coordination and communication between their holders. Imagine if all the holders of gold could, for example, vote on whether to mine more. Moreover, some cryptocurrencies have intrinsic value, such as ether (paying for the use of a distributed network), or HNS (paying for domain names on a decentralized registry).

The ongoing improvements in global cooperation that happen in the bitcoin/crypto private sector derive from the many players that ensure a proof-of-work (PoW) system remains secure.

The intricacies that go into the production of hashrate, such as power and chipmaker pricing negotiation, manufacturing, international sales and marketing, mining pools and hashpower secondary markets. All are playing a piece in hardening relationships locally and internationally.

Therefore, a properly secured chain has then worked its way into regional regulations and labor, becoming a localized economic staple over time as it approaches scale. And, the second-order effects that come from that embedded chain of incentives include a public blockchain that is secure, not just technically but socially and politically. The most secure chains possessing such widespread economies of scale become powerful economic instruments of finance and political social progress (albeit slowly, but each new major public chain hastens this emergent process, thankfully).

In essence, though these systems may at first seem adversarial to state power by their very design, if you look more closely youll see they inherently (slowly) improve diplomacy via scalable trustless cooperation and international business over time.

To understand more on the alchemy of PoW hashpower and how it naturally derives incentives for international business cooperation, see thisongoing series from Anicca Research. The trustless systems we deploy globally have powerful consequences, and its important that we as an industry understand how to continually scale the positive aspects of decentralized monetary systems, without amplifying the negative effects such as centralized financial influence.

States are not wrong to be somewhat threatened by these hard-to-assess possibilities. If many people decide they would rather hold cryptocurrencies than state-backed currencies, it will diminish states abilities to project power through their coins.

But states still have the armies, the police and on a good day anyway democratic legitimacy. All of that still matters, and will for a long time.

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Cryptocurrency Is Just a Minor Threat to the State- CoinDesk - CoinDesk

Dissidents Are Turning To Cryptocurrency As Protests Mount Around The World – Forbes

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A pro-democracy protester gives the three-finger salute while holding up a sign on an electronic ... [+] tablet during an anti-government rally on the outskirts of Bangkok on October 19, 2020. (Photo by Jack TAYLOR / AFP) (Photo by JACK TAYLOR/AFP via Getty Images)

In a COVID-19 era marked by aggressive political consolidation and economic troubles, there have been sparks of protests around the world. From Hong Kong, to the United States to Nigeria, to Thailand, to Belarus and beyond no corner of the world has been untouched by a wave of fresh political protests.

Their causes are diverse: fighting against established political classes, opposing police brutality or calling for reexaminations of elections with possibly fraudulent vote counts.

Yet their concerns are common: they are aligned against powerful and entrenched politicians who largely control trust within their borders. From use of force against dissidents to regulations that control domestic banking systems to the control of state-affiliated media, political incumbents have a lot of power to wield to advance their interests. In order to create meaningful dissent, you have to work around that power.

Cryptocurrency offers one way to doing so. From the payment processor side, you can set up your own payment service using open-source software such as BTCPay. With decentralization, you dont rely on any third-party organization to vet or potentially censor your payments, and there are no processing fees: a stark contrast from the conventional banking system in nation-states that are largely dependent on the corpus between political and legal power to maintain their good financial standing.

An example of this is the Feminist Coalition, an organization of Nigerian activists, moving to accept donations in bitcoin as part of the #EndSARS movement dedicated to fighting police brutality in Nigeria. The Feminist Coalition has reported that its bank account has been shut down, along with a donation link provided by centralized payment processor Flutterwave. Flutterwaves chairman is Tunde Lemo, a former deputy governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria.

The move to bitcoin not only helps the Feminist Coalition to be resilient to censorship for payment processors who are entrenched in traditional power structures, it also helps donors decide the level of privacy they need to make donations to a cause that might be frowned upon in official circles.

People can choose to use Wasabi wallet and the combination of tools they bring to the fore (broadcasting via the Tor network, using CoinJoin to more deeply anonymize transactions) to express a strong desire for privacy. They can use a bitcoin address they dont use very often and which cant be strongly tied to their identity to send cryptocurrency donations. Or they can choose to express a very loose expression of privacy by sending from a more centralized exchange with stricter identity rules such as Coinbase.

The essential point is that people can send cryptocurrency when centralized exchanges censor payment processing and theres no other ways to transact, and they can choose how strongly they want to link their personal identity to financial transactions in the face of political repression and political power.

This same dynamic is what happened with Hong Kong Free Press, an English-level media organization that has pro-democracy support and perspectives within Hong Kong which is also using BTCpay to accept bitcoin and donations.

Given the new national security law, its possible that payment processors might shut off Hong Kong Free Press and their access to the financial resources required to operate and its possible that they might go after with their donors, especially ones with weaker privacy protections.

In Thailand, where pro-democracy protestors have emerged, protestors have put up signs asking for others to buy bitcoin. In Belarus, government employees fired for supporting the political opposition have been supported with grants partially financed through cryptocurrencies by the BYSOL organization, an organization founded by civic society and technologists that support[s] anyone who was repressed, prosecuted, or lost their jobs because of participating in strikes or peaceful protests in Belarus.

Those facing political prosecution fill out a form that took one just ten minutes to figure out, and then theyre set up on a mobile cryptocurrency wallet, then sent grants and support. BYSOL is fundraising with bitcoin and ethereum as funding options. The organization has raised slightly over $2 million USD to send out to support protesters for their bravery if they are economically tied to the state and are punished for it.

Around the world, as protests mount, cryptocurrencies are starting to be used in various ways to go around established political power and to support protestors and dissidents. Each use further bolsters the case that cryptocurrencies can help support meaningful dissent and political diversity even in the face of extreme repression.

Originally posted here:
Dissidents Are Turning To Cryptocurrency As Protests Mount Around The World - Forbes

Cryptocurrency: Crypto Ban In The Air, Crypto Scams Everywhere – Inc42 Media

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Since September, several reports in Indian media outlets have highlighted incidents of unsuspecting customers being allegedly duped of their money through crypto ponzi schemes

In the past too, incidents of wealthy businessmen losing their money through fake crypto wallets have come to light

Between 2017 and 2019, Indian investors have reportedly lost more than $500 Mn to cryptocurrency scams operated within the country and abroad.

Even as crypto stakeholders in India argue against the perceived need for an outright ban on cryptocurrencies in India, reports of crypto ponzi schemes in different parts of the country continue to puncture their cause.

Since September, several reports in Indian media outlets have highlighted incidents of unsuspecting customers being allegedly duped of their money by scamsters believed to be operating crypto ponzi schemes.

In Bengaluru, the police are investigating three companies Long Reach Global, Long Reach Technologies and Morris Trading Solutions. According to the police, these companies collected at least INR 15K each from over 11 lakh people from across the country to invest in a new cryptocurrency called Morris coin. The police have also arrested a 36-year-old man from the Malappuram district of Kerala who is the CEO of all the three entities.

Last month, Delhi Police was investigating an alleged cryptocurrency exchange scam, believed to have been operated by one Pluto Exchange, which marketed itself as a cryptocurrency investment firm and had its offices in Connaught Place. One of the complainants was asked by one of Pluto Exchanges founders to invest in a new cryptocurrency that the firm had launched. The complainant was assured that he would receive 20-30% returns on his investment.

After investing about INR 5 lakhs in the scheme but not receiving any payout, the complainant tried to approach the companys officials, only to find that the exchanges office had shifted from India to Dubai. In the preliminary investigation, it was found that the 43 complainants had invested close to INR 2 Cr in the scheme.

In the past too, incidents of wealthy businessmen losing their money through fake crypto wallets have come to light. Such platforms target users through emails and SMSes, asking them to deposit their bitcoins or other cryptocurrencies in a new crypto exchange to get the opportunity to trade with other users globally. Once users have deposited their crypto assets in the exchange wallet, the operator shuts down the portal, with the users losing access to their crypto earnings.

According to data quoted by cryptocurrency news platform Cointelegraph, between 2017 and 2019, Indian investors have lost more than $500 Mn in cryptocurrency scams operated within the country and abroad.

Amid continued speculation about a ban on cryptocurrencies in India, scant government regulation and no clear law for cryptocurrencies in India contributes a great deal to motivating scamsters in the space. Further, a lack of awareness about digital currencies amongst the public is also a factor. While there is a case to be made about scamsters in the space soiling the name of several genuine and well-meaning crypto exchanges trying to pioneer a crypto revolution in the country, scamsters potential for stitching elaborate frauds under the guise of running a crypto exchange cant be ignored either.

Besides ponzi schemes, other notable modes of crypto scams include fake altcoins (cryptocurrencies other than bitcoin) being made available at attractive prices on certain crypto exchanges. Those who find bitcoin and the popular cryptocurrencies expensive are drawn to these altcoins, only to find that the new coin isnt a genuine cryptocurrency, something thats sooner than later discovered by the relevant authorities. Such fake coins are routinely removed from circulation. However, by the time that happens, millions of dollars worth such fake coins have already been sold to users.

The easiest way to identify a crypto scam is to realise when offers and assured interest returns on an unheard-of cryptocurrency sound too good to be true.

Sumit Gupta, the founder and CEO of Indian crypto exchange CoinDCX, has said in the past that the surging popularity of cryptocurrencies in India would only give rise to more such fraudulent schemes.

To guard against such frauds, Gupta suggested that users should conduct their due diligence before working with cryptocurrencies. This can be done by finding out whether the mobile app for the crypto wallet is linked to an official website for the platform. Further, users should peruse other users comments, reviews and feedback for the app on the internet and the Google Play Store. The number of users and downloads are other important metrics to go by before trusting a platform.

The most important factor in judging a crypto schemes authenticity still rests in judging whether schemes promising implausible returns can ever come through. While crypto enthusiasts and seasoned traders will always stay clear of fraudulent schemes, those new to the ecosystem can do well with internet-based research before depositing their money in new platforms or buying new cryptocurrencies.

By the time of publication, Bitcoin was trading at $11,833, a 2.76% hike from last week. Bitcoins market cap was around $219 Bn.

Ethereum was trading at $370, a 3.85% decline from last weeks trading price. Its market cap was around $41.8 Bn.

A recent report by the World Gold Council, a major market development organization for the gold industry, highlighted that crypto was the fifth-most popular investment tool in Russia, behind savings accounts, foreign currencies, real estate and life insurance. Ranked next to crypto is gold, both accounting for 17% and 16% respectively of active investments made by those surveyed by the World Gold Council. The report is based on a survey of 2,023 online interviews with investors from cities across Russia. The respondents are active investors those who made at least one investment in the 12 months preceding the survey. You can read the full report here.

A report notes that Bitcoins dominance among cryptocurrencies in terms of trading volume is hitting away at the prolonged craze for Decentralised Finance or (DeFi) in the market. While market cap dominance remains below 60%, earlier this month, the trading dominance of BTC has spiked to levels not seen since 2017 when the price hit an all-time high at $20,000. With Bitcoins trading volume increasing, the global trend suggests that the market for DeFi tokens or altcoins to slump. It remains to be seen whether this trend will affect the Indian crypto market, where crypto exchange platforms have just started developing decentralized exchange platforms. You can read the full report here.

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World Gold Council Survey Shows Cryptocurrency Investment the 5th Most Popular in Russia – Bitcoin News

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According to a recent research survey, cryptocurrency investment is a touch more popular than gold in Russia. An organization called the World Gold Council surveyed 2,023 investors and cryptocurrency turned out to be the fifth-largest investment next to gold.

The World Gold Council (WGC) is considered an authority on the gold industry as the market development organization works with all types of industry leaders in the precious metals field. WGC also manages the very popular web portal gold.org and it often publishes research studies concerning safe-haven investments.

Just recently, WGC published a report concerning gold investments in Russia and the study also touched upon cryptocurrency investments as well.

The WGC surveyed 2,023 Russian investors that stem from all around the country. 68% of the surveyed participants said gold is seen as an effective store of value.

Most Russian investors believe [gold] holds its long-term value and protects against currency and inflation fluctuations, the WGC study details. In a chart that highlights the investments in Russia over the past 12 months, cryptocurrency investment vehicles represent a higher percentage than gold.

Cryptocurrency is listed as the fifth-most popular investment vehicle with a percentage rating of around 17%. Meanwhile, gold is roughly 16% among the 2,021 WGC survey participants.

Ahead of cryptocurrency investments include things like savings accounts, foreign currencies, real estate, and life insurance respectively. Below cryptocurrencies and gold on the WGC list are investments like collectibles, gold coins, stocks, and government-issued bonds.

Additionally, the WGC authors wrote that crypto investment is taking place in Russia even though regulations are quite gray in the region.

The rise of cryptocurrencies demonstrates that there is a desire for choice and appeal among retail investors. As the Russian investment market takes shape, opportunities for different investment products will emerge and gold will need to respond, the WGC authors said.

What do you think about the WGC report which shows cryptocurrencies as being Russias fifth-most popular investment? Let us know in the comments section below.

Image Credits: Shutterstock, Pixabay, Wiki Commons, WGC report

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. It is not a direct offer or solicitation of an offer to buy or sell, or a recommendation or endorsement of any products, services, or companies. Bitcoin.com does not provide investment, tax, legal, or accounting advice. Neither the company nor the author is responsible, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with the use of or reliance on any content, goods or services mentioned in this article.

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World Gold Council Survey Shows Cryptocurrency Investment the 5th Most Popular in Russia - Bitcoin News

Cryptocurrency 101 DOJs New Cryptocurrency Enforcement Framework Provides Guidance And Promises Of Heightened Scrutiny Of Virtual Assets Through…

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While the Report acknowledges the potential utility of blockchain technologyincluding its applicability to United States defense strategy, food safety, and the Federal Reserve Systems efforts to implement its own digital currencythe Task Force has detected three common illicit uses of cryptocurrency: (1) financial transactions associated with criminal activity, such as terrorism fundraising, exchanging illegal substances, and child exploitation; (2) money laundering and the shielding of legitimate activity from tax, reporting, or other legal requirements; and (3) crimes that directly compromise virtual asset markets themselves (often theft, fraud, and cryptojacking)[1].

The Report states that, in cooperation with a number of regulatory bodies, enforcement efforts have focused on money services businesses (MSBs) and virtual asset service providers (VASPs). MSBs include currency dealers or exchangers; check cashers; issuers and sellers of travelers checks, money orders, or stored value; money transmitters; and the United States Postal Service. VASPs provide services related to exchanging, transferring, and safekeeping virtual currencies.

The Report also identifies and defines specific business models that may facilitate criminal activities, likely foreshadowing future Department of Justice (DOJ) prosecution targets:

The government has a growing number of tools to prosecute criminal activity involving virtual assets. In addition to identifying familiar fraud, AML/CFT and BSA-related charges, and other provisions of the Criminal Code,[2] the Report summarizes the roles of agencies authorized to enforce regulations pertinent to cryptocurrency business models.

FinCEN. FinCEN primarily administers and implements the BSA, which includes maintaining a database that stores reports of suspected money-laundering transactions. FinCENs relationship with the DOJ centers on crime prevention (via compliance obligations targeting money laundering and terrorism efforts) and investigatory assistance with suspicious activity detected through the mandatory reporting. If a potential crime is identified, FinCEN will refer matters to DOJs Fraud Section, Money Laundering and Asset Forfeiture Section or a local United States Attorneys Office for criminal investigation and prosecution. Interestingly, MSBs need not have a physical presence in the United States to be subject to the BSA; an MSB doing business in the United States may trigger BSA requirements. As a key player in cryptocurrency enforcement, FinCENs role suggests that compliant reporting will maximize the efficacy of the BSA database and promote integrity of cryptocurrency markets.

OFAC. The Treasurys Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) administers and enforces economic and trade sanctions against targeted foreign countries and regimes; terrorist groups; international narcotics traffickers; those engaged in activities related to the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction; those engaged in malicious cyber activities; and other entities that present threats to the national security, foreign policy, or economy of the United States based on U.S. foreign policy and national security goals.[3] Thus, entities that provide or participate in online commerce or process transactions in digital currency must be aware of OFAC sanctions and enact appropriate controls.

OCC. The Treasurys Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) is responsible for issuing rules and regulations applicable to banks, as well as imposing corrective measures when banks act illegally or exhibit unsafe or unsound practices. The OCC has confirmed in a July 22, 2020 Interpretive Letter that OCC-governed banks may provide custody services to lawful cryptocurrency businesses, as long as banks engage in proper risk management and regulatory and legal compliance.

SEC. The Securities and Exchange Commission also plays a critical role in the cryptocurrency space, particularly through the regulation of the rapid growth of the initial coin offerings (ICOs) market and its widespread promotion as a means for new investment opportunity, which has provided fertile ground for malicious actors to swindle investors.[4] ICOs promote the sale of digital tokens to raise capital in exchange for funding an entitys new project or platform. The Report boasts several enforcement actions made possible through collaboration with the DOJ.

CFTC. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has statutory authority to regulate certain aspects and uses of virtual assets. Along with multiple federal courts, the CFTC has found certain virtual currencies to be commodities under the Commodities Exchange Act, and thus subject to CFTC oversight. CFTCs jurisdiction is implicated when a virtual currency is the underlying asset in a derivatives contract, or if there is fraud or manipulation involving a virtual currency traded in interstate commerce.[5] Successful enforcement actions show examples of fraudulent activity, which include illegal offerings of margined or financed retail virtual currency, fictitious trades on derivatives platforms, and virtual currency Ponzi schemes.

IRS. The Report also provides a helpful reminder that general tax exposure attaches to virtual currency transactions because the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) treats virtual currency as property. Thus, [i]ncome, including capital gains, from virtual currency transactions is taxable, and virtual currency transactions themselves must be reported on a taxpayers income tax return.[6] Failure to accurately report taxable income could therefore also trigger an investigation and potential civil or criminal actions.

The DOJ intends to continue to pursue tax-related prosecutions for failure to report income from virtual currency and assist with John Doe summons matters, which are IRS investigations approved by a federal court in order to locate taxpayers who are unknown to the IRS. In fact, the IRSs 2020 Draft 1040 adds a line requiring tax payers to answer the question: At any time during 2020, did you receive, sell, send, exchange, or otherwise acquire any financial interest in any virtual currency? In the past, taxpayers had to report their virtual currency activityor not, and risk receiving a letter from the IRS requesting amended returns that report virtual currency transactions and income. The 2020 Draft 1040 reflects a more proactive approach to enforcement of virtual currency reporting that likely will result in greater scrutiny of individuals dealing in cryptocurrency and other virtual assets.

State Authorities and International Regulations. Responsible for protecting the investing public through licensing investment firms, registering securities offerings, and enforcing other state securities and banking laws, state authorities are actively investigating virtual currency activity, mainly issuance and sales of ICOs. The Report identifies New York as a proactive state seeking to regulate and gather information in the virtual asset and ICO space.[7]

Internationally, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) serves as the global standard-setter for AML/CFT standards. In June 2019, FATF issued updated Recommendations setting forth a framework of measures that countries should implement to combat money laundering and terrorist financing. The United States was a founding member in 1989 and served as president from July 2018 to June 2019, during which time it made it a FATF priority to regulate VASPs.

As virtual currency rapidly evolves to apex technological complexity, this framework may appear to be a tangled web of regulatory aspirations arriving too late; however, the Report boasts a number of recent prosecutions that reflect competent enforcement by each of the above authorities. In addition to the notable changes to IRS Form 1040 referenced above, the indictment earlier this month against John McAfee for alleged tax evasion was a strong signal to the cryptocurrency community that DOJ is serious about enforcement. McAfee has been a vocal proponent of cryptocurrency and he allegedly earned millions through consulting and other services.

The Report further confirms DOJs intention to continue developing strategies to respond to the threat of virtual assets, which include:

The release of the Report by DOJ should send a strong message to all who use cryptocurrency or otherwise service the cryptocurrency market that the government is intent on engaging in much stronger regulation and enforcement in the future. If you or your company operate in the cryptocurrency space, you would be well-served to carefully review the developing laws and regulations so you can build an adequate compliance framework and respond to potential threats accordingly.

[1] The Report defines cryptojacking as [t]he unauthorized use of someone elses computer to generate (or mine) cryptocurrency. Report at 16.

[2] The Report references several statutes, including: 18 U.S.C. 1343 (Wire Fraud); 18 U.S.C. 1341 (Mail Fraud); 15 U.S.C. 78j and 78ff (Securities Fraud); 18 U.S.C. 1029 (Access Device Fraud); 18 U.S.C. 1028 (Identity Theft and Fraud); 18 U.S.C. 1030 (Fraud and Intrusions in Connection with Computers); 18 U.S.C. 921 et seq. (Illegal Sale and Possession of Firearms); 18 U.S.C. 2320 (Possession and Distribution of Counterfeit Items); 18 U.S.C. 2251 et seq. (Child Exploitation Activities); 21 U.S.C. 841 et seq. (Possession and Distribution of Controlled Substances); 18 U.S.C. 1956 et seq. (Money Laundering); 18 U.S.C. 1957 (Transactions Involving Proceeds of Illegal Activity); 18 U.S.C. 1960 (Operation of an Unlicensed Money Transmitting Business); 31 U.S.C. 5331 et seq. (Failure to Comply with Bank Secrecy Act Requirements); 18 U.S.C. 982 and 21 U.S.C. 853 (Criminal Forfeiture); and 18 U.S.C. 981 (Civil Forfeiture).

[3] Report at 26.

[4] Id. at 29.

[5] Id. at 32.

[6] Id. at 33.

[7] Report at 34.

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Cryptocurrency 101 DOJs New Cryptocurrency Enforcement Framework Provides Guidance And Promises Of Heightened Scrutiny Of Virtual Assets Through...


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