Zumo breathes new life into the push to decarbonise digital assets at Money20/20 Europe 8215

Zumo, the B2B digital assets infrastructure, today announces the launch of Oxygen, a world-first decarbonising digital assets solution for financial institutions prioritising ESG.

The launch, held at Money20/20 Europe in Amsterdam, comes one year after Zumo and its partner Zero Labs, a renewable-energy-as-a-service company building programmable decarbonisation technologies, were awarded a grant by Innovate UK, the UK’s national innovation agency, to fund research into the decarbonisation of digital assets, specifically finding practical ways in which wallets and platforms can scale the use of renewable energy.

Oxygen enables Zumo’s clients, including banks and asset managers, to provide ESG-aligned, future-proofed digital asset offerings to their customers. The targeted solution combines the forecasting and calculation of crypto electricity consumption with standard industry data, and uses renewable energy procurement in the form of Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) to ensure crypto or blockchain activities are transparently and verifiably powered by renewables. This helps Zumo’s clients reduce the electricity-based Scope 3 emissions associated with their digital asset offerings and prove it.

The launch of Oxygen follows the successful completion of Zumo’s Zero Hero pilot project, a live trial to buy RECs to compensate for the electricity usage of Bitcoin bought via a direct-to-consumer crypto app, which is powered by Zumo’s infrastructure.

£1.5 million worth of Bitcoin was covered by Zero Hero REC purchases, with a total of 850 megawatt-hours (MWh) of electricity compensated via the programme – enough energy to drive an electric vehicle for over 2.6 million miles*. Zumo also bought 126.36 MWh for the purpose of decarbonising Ethereum’s historical emissions (and Zumo’s ETH holdings), participating in the Blocks.garden initiative.

Nick Jones, Co-Founder and CEO, Zumo, said: “The associated carbon footprint can be a huge elephant in the room when it comes to rolling out a digital asset product. With Oxygen, the first solution of its type, we’re offering businesses practical ways to meet customer demand for digital assets whilst mitigating environmental challenges, and demonstrating positive, ESG-aligned action.”

“Oxygen empowers banks, asset managers, and other financial institutions to align their digital asset offering with their wider net zero strategy and make verifiable decarbonisation claims. We’re extremely proud of today’s launch, which follows a lot of hard work together with our friends at Zero Labs. I hope it sends a positive signal to the rest of the market about exactly what’s possible.”

Beltran Berrocal, Co-Founder and CEO, Zero Labs, added: “We’re excited to expand our work with Zumo, which is at the forefront of programmable decarbonisation, creating new green and smart services to provably decarbonise the crypto and financial industries, while also upholding maximum transparency and following industry best practices and sustainability reporting standards.”

“Oxygen’s launch is interesting because, firstly, it showcases the power of digital renewable energy, and secondly it corrects the historically bad reputation of crypto’s energy consumption by showing that buying crypto can actually become a source of new demand for renewable energy.”

The decarbonisation of digital assets is one of the most pressing challenges facing the nascent digital assets sector. Zumo has taken a lead in the industry response, and has released a series of seminal reports that are shaping the direction of travel [available at zumo.tech/crypto-knowledge-hub]. Zumo has also won a number of awards for its work, including ‘Best Application of ESG’ at City AM’s 2022 ‘Crypto AM’ awards.

In October 2022, Zumo became a member of the World Economic Forum’s (WEF’s) Crypto Sustainability Coalition. Part of the wider Crypto Impact and Sustainability Accelerator, the Coalition explored how blockchain tools can be better leveraged to contribute to meaningful progress towards positive climate action. In April 2023, the WEF released a subsequent insight report, entitled ‘Guidelines for improving blockchain’s environmental, social and economic impact’ which featured Zumo’s Zero Hero project as an industry case study.

*Electric vehicles consume 0.2 KWh/Km, making 2.64 million miles for the 850 MWh

About Zumo

Zumo believes everyone should have access to sustainable finance, and that blockchain has the power to deliver this globally. Its mission is to provide a better planet for digital assets, delivering sustainable, accessible and secure ways to unlock the benefits of web3.

As an enterprise-focused digital-asset-as-a-service platform, Zumo’s turnkey, API-based infrastructure offers a fast, flexible and compliance-sensitive route to market, empowering fintechs, banks, asset managers and brands to offer their clients the tools of the future simply, securely and sustainably while also opening up new revenue streams, attracting new customers and supporting customer retention.

A values-driven business, Zumo has underlined its commitment to a fairer society and a sustainable planet with an ambitious 2030 net zero strategy encompassing its own business; the blockchains it works with; and the wider digital asset ecosystem. Carbon-neutral since inception, the business is committed to ongoing collaboration in the decarbonisation of the digital assets industry. Zumo was an early signatory of the Crypto Climate Accord, the first digital asset business to receive UK government funding from the UK’s national innovation agency, Innovate UK, to further its applied work on the decarbonisation of digital assets, and is now a key contributor to industry guidance on the energy consumption of blockchain, working in tandem with the World Economic Forum and the OECD.

Zumo’s infrastructure also powers the direct-to-consumer Zumo App, launched in the UK and registered with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).

More information at: zumo.tech

About Zero Labs

Zero Labs provides “digital renewable energy” as a service, making it super simple for everyone – businesses and individuals – everywhere across the globe to buy renewable energy and prove it.

Zero Labs is accelerating the transition to the zero emissions economy through the power of programmable decarbonisation: enabling every developer in the world to easily “embed” and integrate renewable energy into their apps, software, and services with a simple API.

More information at: zerolabs.green

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Paxos Regulated Stablecoin Platform Reaches Five-Year Milestone, Has Issued $120B+ in Stablecoins 2896

Paxos, the leading provider of blockchain infrastructure for enterprises, celebrates the five-year anniversary of its regulated stablecoin platform. Over the past five years, the company has issued and redeemed more than $120 billion in USD-backed stablecoins across its offerings while setting the market standard for regulatory oversight. All Paxos stablecoins have been issued from the company’s New York trust with prudential oversight from the New York State Department of Financial Services.

Paxos debuted the first regulated, fully redeemable USD-backed token in 2018. In the five years since, the company has grown its tokenization capabilities into a suite of platform offerings that power stablecoin solutions for global enterprises like Mercado Libre and Mastercard. In August, Paxos launched PayPal USD (PYUSD), now available to more than 100 million PayPal users and throughout the crypto ecosystem. By partnering with PayPal, Paxos is enabling a new level of adoption and utility that will define the next wave of stablecoin growth.

Walter Hessert, Head of Strategy at Paxos, commented, “Stablecoins will become a trillion-dollar asset class as blockchain technology expands across the applications used everyday by consumers. The Paxos platform empowers our enterprise partners to enable payments, settlement, remittances and other real world use cases of stablecoins for hundreds of millions of end users. We offer the safety, security and oversight that enterprises need to enter this new frontier with confidence.

Paxos has been instrumental in establishing and increasing the integrity of blockchain and digital asset markets by setting the standard for reserve disclosures and securing prudential regulation for each of its individual tokens. Moving forward, Paxos will continue to set the standard in stablecoin operations with robust consumer protections, frequent regulatory examinations, monthly independent attestations and monthly reserve reporting. This compliance-driven approach has proven indispensable to global brands like PayPal, Mastercard, Interactive Brokers, Mercado Libre, Nubank and others as they begin their journey into digital assets. Today, Paxos infrastructure powers more than 12 million active wallets globally through its enterprise partnerships.

The Paxos stablecoin platform leverages Ethereum and will expand into multiple other blockchains as it helps to create a more open, accessible economy for all. Paxos stablecoins are always backed one-for-one by cash and cash equivalents, with all customer assets held in segregated accounts and protected from bankruptcy as a New York State regulated Trust company. Paxos stablecoins USDP and PYUSD are issued by Paxos Trust Company and regulated by the New York Department of Financial Services. Financial institutions around the world have adopted Paxos’ scalable, interoperable institutional grade blockchain products, including white label stablecoins, digital asset-enabled wallets, custody and settlement solutions. With a strong balance sheet, prudential oversight and robust compliance programs, Paxos’ blockchain infrastructure is tailor-made to serve the needs of sophisticated global enterprises with billions in assets and millions of customers to protect.

About Paxos

Paxos is the leading regulated blockchain infrastructure and tokenization platform. Its products are the foundation for a new, open financial system that can operate faster and more efficiently. Today, trillions of dollars are locked in inefficient, outdated financial plumbing that is inaccessible to millions of people. Paxos is replatforming the financial system to enable assets to instantaneously move anywhere in the world, at any time, in a trustworthy way.

Paxos partners with leading global enterprises to tokenize, custody, trade and settle assets. Its blockchain solutions are used by institutions like PayPal, Interactive Brokers, Mastercard, Mercado Libre, Nubank, Bank of America and Societe Generale. It is the issuer of numerous regulated digital assets including PayPal USD (PYUSD), Pax Dollar (USDP) and Pax Gold (PAXG). Prudentially regulated by the NYDFS in the US and the MAS in Singapore, Paxos is a top-funded fintech company with more than $540 million raised from leading investors including Oak HC/FT, Declaration Partners, Founders Fund, Mithril Capital and PayPal Ventures. With offices in New York, London and Singapore, Paxos takes a global approach to modernizing the financial system.

Rarimo Foundation Launches MetaMask Snap, RariMe, Enabling Cryptocurrencies and Identity Credentials To Be Stored and Managed From A Single Wallet 3417

Rarimo Foundation has launched RariMe, a MetaMask Snap that enables MetaMask users to store and manage identity credentials through their MetaMask wallet, developed by Consensys.

RariMe is built with MetaMask’s Snaps platform, which launched on 12 September and allows developers to build applications that can bring new functionalities to MetaMask’s users.

RariMe introduces an entirely new social identity function to MetaMask and ends wallet fragmentation; users will no longer have to switch between their identity and digital asset wallets. In a single swoop, MetaMask users will instantly have access to identity storage and privacy-enhancing Zero-Knowledge Proof (ZKPs) generation and management. Given that in 2022, MetaMask surpassed 100 million users, this significantly expands the presence of digital identity.

RariMe also further improves the user experience, by ensuring that all credentials are fully multi-chain. For one of the first times in Web3, users will not have to issue separate proofs for separate chains. Instead, they can issue a proof on the chain of their choice and then use it seamlessly across Ethereum, Polygon, BNB Chain, and Avalanche. This is possible because RariMe was built atop of interoperability protocol, Rarimo, which enables state replication and on-chain verification.

Lasha Antadze, Co-Founder of Rarify Labs, commented, “RariMe snap dramatically improves the user experience around digital identities. Users will no longer have to switch between multiple apps and interfaces and the friction between identities and crypto has been removed. This will fuel the growth of the digital identity space and the many emerging Web3 movements that require identities, including decentralized social media and on-chain gaming.”

“MetaMask is thrilled to welcome Rarimo as one of the trailblazing builders for MetaMask Snaps. We strongly believe that permissionless innovation is fundamental to a decentralized ecosystem. With Snaps, we’re not just expanding features; we’re excited to see Rarimo use Snaps to open the doors to digital identities, credentials management, and decentralized social protocols, ultimately empowering our users like never before,” said Christian Montoya, Product Lead at MetaMask Snaps.

From launch, RariMe will be integrated with Rarimo’s Proof-of-Humanity plug-in which was released last month to enable users to leverage identity credentials from Unstoppable Domains, Civic, and Gitcoin to prove that they are humans and not bots. RariMe will automatically provide users with an end-to-end flow on the reputation-building platforms Galxe, Zeely, and quest focused application QuestN.

About Rarimo

Rarimo is the interoperability protocol for digital social identities. Its distinctive infrastructure enables identity components to be integrated on-chain, and seamlessly ported across ecosystems. This ensures that Web3 can develop without the walled gardens and cumbersome identity practices of Web2.

About Rarimo Foundation

Rarimo Foundation is a not-for-profit company devoted to implementing the decisions of the Rarimo DAO.

About Rarify Labs

Rarify Labs is an ecosystem contributor dedicated to advancing Rarimo.

ETH Riyadh 2023: Exploring the Future of the Web3 Ecosystem 3484

On October 11th, 2023, ETH Riyadh 2023, presented by Tharawat Technology, Studio 23, ChainIDE, Coffee with Crypto, and Mask, is poised to assemble developers, innovators, and the global blockchain community in a dynamic exchange of ideas and technological advancements. Riyadh is once again primed to assert itself as a global epicenter for blockchain innovation with the imminent arrival of the ETH Riyadh 2023 conference.

Riyadh represents a burgeoning center for digital innovation, with a growing tech-savvy community and an environment conducive to the adoption of emerging technologies. The strategic location in the heart of the Middle East makes Riyadh an ideal meeting point for blockchain enthusiasts from diverse regions, fostering international collaboration and innovation.

EthRiyadh 2023 is a series of hybrid events, hosted both online and offline, featuring three distinct stages. It kicks off with the META to Global Web3 Builder Competition, taking place from September 18th to October 12th. This competition will feature multiple tracks focusing on the latest innovations in the web3 industry and blockchain technology, encouraging developers and innovators to showcase their skills and creativity.

Following with the Builder Conference that Scheduled for October 11th. This part of the event promises captivating talks and panel discussions led by leaders and visionaries in the blockchain field. Attendees will have the opportunity to gain valuable insights into emerging trends and groundbreaking technologies that are shaping the future of web3 and Ethereum.

The event culminates with the online Builder Mixer, taking place on October 12th. This is a unique opportunity for participants to connect with a vibrant community of builders, fostering growth and mutual success. Attendees can share stories about their experiences in building and forging meaningful connections that may lead to future achievements in the blockchain industry.

For more information about ETH Riyadh 2023, including registration details and agenda updates, please visit [www.ethriyadh.com].

Solar Dex to relaunch on Quai Network 4339

While many solutions for blockchain scalability have been proposed, they remain unable to crack the blockchain trilemma, sacrificing security and decentralization. Quai is the first blockchain protocol that is simultaneously decentralized, censorship resistant and infinitely scalable. Quai, in contrast to traditional cryptocurrencies, functions as a network of many interoperable blockchains braided together. Due to a breakthrough discovery that occurred during research on proof-of-work, Quai Network utilizes a new consensus mechanism, proof of entropy minima (PoEM), which eliminates all consensus-based forks and enables all Quai nodes to remain in “perpetual consensus.”

Solar Dex began as the first United States-based decentralized exchange on Solana, and will now be pivoting to build on Quai as one of its first DEXs. Due to a loss of TVL on Solana and many Solana-based projects moving strictly to NFTs, the Solar team has decided to get ahead of the DeFi curve and take advantage of Quai’s low-cost, high-speed decentralized network in order to better position Solar Dex for the next bull run. The team at Solar is building on top of Quai Network to “ensure a more sustainable future for Solar Dex.”

Roy Fardin, chief business officer, said: “After talking to the Quai Network team, we have never been more bullish about a layer 1 with scalability and its passion for growth. It was a clear eye-opener that they care about DeFi and want other projects that utilize this network to succeed. The vision behind Quai brings the best of Ethereum and Solana all together into this new network.”

Solar Dex will be reworking the DEX into several components as it builds on Quai. The DEX will not only support traditional swaps, but also add in customizable swap themes. In addition, Solar Dex’s Solar Sentries NFTs will allow staking as a yield opportunity derived by all exchange fees earned from Sentry Mode projects.

Richard, CEO of Solar Dex, said: “On top of traditional DEX swaps, Solar Dex will be adding limit orders on Quai. “We’re doing a total revamp of the website and DEX which should be very aesthetically pleasing and simplistic to onboard new users to DeFi and also Quai.”

With Quai’s Iron Age Testnet beginning in September 2023, Solar Dex will be prioritizing its deployment on Quai for the coming months. There will be incentives to beta-test Solar DEX on Quai and additional generalized rewards will be provided by Quai for participating in the Iron Age Testnet. On top of this, the Solar team will be adding a surprise feature to the DEX to build excitement for Quai’s testnet launch, as well as utilizing its incentive program to reward holders.

With backing from Polychain Capital and an expert team with backgrounds at Apple, GridPlus, Tesla, Consensys, Circle and more, Quai is excited to usher in a new generation of innovative applications that don’t sacrifice decentralization.

Concordium Enables a New Standard of Age Verification Amidst Growing Privacy Concerns 4691

Concordium, the Layer 1, science-backed blockchain creating a safer digital world, proudly unveils Web3 ID: a cutting-edge identification platform offering age-verification capacities designed to prioritize user privacy for both individuals and businesses. Concordium’s age verification tooling works to protect minors online amidst growing global privacy concerns and explicit data-harvesting from technology organisations.

Web3 ID harnesses Concordium’s Zero-Knowledge Proof technology to offer a novel approach to age verification – without ever compromising user data or privacy. By uploading a government-issued form of identification to their wallet, Web3 ID users can drastically reduce the amount of data they disclose during online identity verification, regaining control over any sensitive information.

Mikael Breinholst, Head of Product at Concordium, spoke to the widespread concern surrounding existing online age-verification tools, stating: “Current age verification tools online are a grave area of concern for many. Age-restricted sites have little to no barrier to entry, exposing underage consumers to a universe of adult themed content. Blockchain technology, and Web3 ID specifically, enable businesses to request proof of an individual’s age, without storing their data or selling it to advertisers. With Web3 ID, users maintain autonomy and safety over their personal information while benefiting from blockchain technology’s inherent security.”

Concordium´s built-in ID layer and Zero-Knowledge-Proof technology ensures a user’s online identity is verified in a secure and decentralized manner, all while maintaining privacy. Only strictly relevant information is requested of users when transacting on the Web3 ID platform, while unrelated details are held on a decentralized wallet. Web3 ID users are also granted an increase in transactional security through Concordium’s compliance-friendly technology. In result, individuals and businesses are empowered with complete control over their information, effectively countering the data ownership issues associated with centralized legacy systems.

Kåre Kjelstrøm, CTO & CPO at Concordium, commented: “Concordium’s Web3 ID is intuitive and easy to build upon, offering seamless usability while being cost-effective, shrinking online identification processes. Further to preventing children from accessing age-restricted sites, Web3 ID is capable of sharing specific medical information without the recipient having access to the entirety of an individual’s medical history, proving a user’s driving credentials, or simply ensuring user data is genuine and not the result of bots. This model addresses many of the shortcomings surrounding ID safety caused by big tech’s data monopoly.”

The creation of a new standard of age verification promotes Concordium’s mission of supporting a regulated future for new and existing organisations building on blockchain technology. This achievement follows recent partnerships such as AI service provider 2021.ai, and carbon offset management platform Aqualibre.

For more information on Concordium’s Web3 ID platform, please visit: Concordium.com

About Concordium

Concordium is a permissionless green layer 1, a science-backed blockchain that balances privacy with accountability through its ID layer and Zero-Knowledge-Proofs. Creating trust with ID is key to scaling businesses. Concordium provides a fast, secure, and high-scale blockchain platform that makes building use cases and using dApps easy. Concordium differs by having verified ID and instant finality with high throughput and low transaction fees pegged to FIAT. With leadership from Fortune 500 companies, Volvo, IKEA, Credit Suisse, Uber, and successful Fintech platforms, the team is scaling the chain to its extensive network of the world’s biggest enterprises. For more information: concordium.com

Web3 Social Platform “Cardano Spot” Unveils New Features to Empower Cardano Enthusiasts 5066

0IMG 0811

First all-in-one social media platform for everything Cardano, Cardano Spot, has unveiled a series of innovative features. The platform, founded and developed with direct input from the Cardano community, aims to address fragmentation within the Cardano ecosystem, provide a 360-view, and foster enhanced community interaction.

Desktop Project Library

Latest Enhancements for a More Robust Experience

Cardano Spot has launched its latest features to facilitate the expansion of native Cardano projects and their communities.

Open Access. In its upgraded version you can now access both News Feed and Project Library without being required to sign in.

Multilingual News Feed. Additionally, Cardano Spot provides access to a diverse multilingual News Feed, featuring content from Portuguese, Vietnamese, and Indian community members.

Desktop News List

Simplified Registration. The platform now also provides a number of alternative ways for registration, including Twitter, TikTok, and GitHub accounts.

Explore Page. Offers a better user experience through a simple curated view on the latest information about the Cardano ecosystem.

Refer-a-Friend. The newly launched “Refer a Friend” feature enables users to invite friends through a personalized referral link.

A peek into other features:

  • Community Hub: A customized homepage tailored to individual user interests, empowering content creation, user connections, and discovering like-minded communities.
  • News Feed: A source for the latest Cardano ecosystem news, offering educational content, articles, and videos to expand knowledge horizons.
  • Project Library: A comprehensive repository spotlighting projects built on the Cardano Blockchain, complete with explanations, whitepapers, introductory videos, and essential links for personal research.
  • Events Calendar: A consolidated calendar showcasing Cardano-related events, including webinars, discussions, product launches, and more.
  • Market Status: Real-time insights into native token prices, market trends, and tokenomics.

Desktop Events

Sebastian Zilliacus, Managing Director at EMURGO, explained, “Cardano Spot aims to provide trust, transparency, and accurate information about the Cardano ecosystem. We partner with native Cardano projects to achieve this objective.”

About Cardano Spot

Cardano Spot is the first product from EMURGO Media. This Cardano enthusiasts-focused social network serves end-to-end information for the Cardano community. It provides a user-generated interactive platform specifically designed for investment in, distribution, consumption, and monetization of Cardano content. Cardano Spot solves the issue of fragmented content in the Cardano ecosystem by aggregating valuable, quality content from reliable sources in the Cardano ecosystem to give up-to-date developments in the Cardano ecosystem.

For more information, please visit: https://bit.ly/CardanoSpotWeb3Platform.