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Flux Challenges the largest computer providers with the Launch of … – GlobeNewswire

Cambridge, United Kingdom, March 29, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Web3 technology firm Flux has launched Flux Cloud, an extensive suite of decentralized services and code-agnostic customizable blockchain-as-a-service (BAAS) solutions. Flux Cloud uses blockchain technology to provide clients with various tools and an environment to turn their ideas into efficient and scalable applications.

Flux chief business officer Davy Wittock says that Flux Cloud approaches the problem differently from the Web2 giants that are currently dominating the web services space. By decentralizing the process using blockchain, Flux cuts back on overhead costs and makes the process much more affordable.

Clients don't need to procure data centers or bandwidth because we host everything on the blockchain, and that's the main strength of Flux. It's community-driven hosting.

Flux's computational network has more than 15,000 nodes distributed globally, each equipped with a fail-safe mechanism. This results in massive computational resources at the clients' disposal. Even at the lowest tier, Flux can provide enterprise-grade infrastructure to its clients.

According to Wittock, Flux allows anybody to set up a server, especially with the growing availability of basic plug-and-play devices that cost around $200. He adds that most websites and API services do not require a huge amount of hardware overhead, and can run even on older computers.

There's a couple of other companies out there that actually build on top of Flux and utilize the Flux network, providing more servers to the network or providing applications that people can easily deploy.

According to Flux, hosting nodes on its marketplace removes the burden on businesses having to set up their servers. This allows clients to concentrate on the real products and services they are offering and provides the opportunity to launch new products and websites rapidly. If clients see the necessity to expand quickly, Flux allows them to scale further for a fraction of the cost. This is because decentralization spreads out the cost and the load of the investments, making it more affordable for clients to operate.

Wittock adds that the decentralized nature of Flux Cloud offers a huge advantage compared to centralized Web2 services in terms of uptime and reliability. If a central facility goes down, large sections of the internet are often rendered inaccessible for significant periods of time. However, a spread out network such as Flux's can tolerate a certain number of nodes going down without major impact to the service.

Despite providing the same services as the Web2 giants, Flux does not directly compete with them. Instead, it positions itself as a complementary service and not as a replacement for the more established centralized technology. Flux has partnered with OVHcloud and Lumen Technologies to assist the bridging of the gap between Web2 and Web3, creating a positive environment where both sides of the coin can thrive.

Daniel Keller, Founder and CEO of Flux says, We apply what is called the wetland model. We're not here to replace the Web2 companies that have been out there for a long time. Our intention is to provide a Web3 solution that can work alongside existing Web2 technology. There's no need to replace that instantly. What we want to offer is a basic service that has easier and more affordable scalability. Sometimes, businesses need to scale quickly with the need for minimal overhead. And that's where the wetland image comes into play. In nature, a wetland is a place for excess water to go without harming anything,.

Flux has no intention of stopping, with the growth of the company being a top priority. With the world of Web3 and blockchain desperately in need of its WordPress moment, Flux is in the process of announcing exactly that. With the company's next project being focused around the Flux decentralized WordPress.

Media contact:

Name: Betty Kolibacova

Email: info@runonflux.io

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How the European Champions Alliance is helping scaleups … – Tech.eu

The European Investment Bank estimates that around 75% of European high-tech companies in their late-stage development are acquired by non-European firms.

Europes tech startups often lack the sufficient capital to compete on a global scale and are pushed to relocate overseas. So how do we keep investment and all of the R&D and innovation of scaleups and late-stage startups firmly in Europe?

TheEuropean Champions Alliance (ECA) is a non-profit initiative for strengthening Europe's startup landscape. I spoke to Andrea Vaugan from the ECA to learn more.

ECA was founded in 2020 by over 50 European members and over 20 European ecosystem partners, such as La French Tech in France and TeleTrusT in Germany, creating a community of seasoned experts, including entrepreneurs, suppliers, corporates, and partners.

Members include Tehtris and Docaposte from France and Ionos and Infineon from Germany.

It's worth stressing that this is no funded endeavour. People are volunteering their time and knowledge.

The Alliance empowers European startups to take the lead in future technologies while remaining under European ownership to support and protect its citizens and industries in the digital age.

The problem of Fragmentation

Part of the challenge is that Europe as a whole consists of smaller countries, regions and ecosystems. Each comes with its own specific language, culture, local legislation and regulations.

Vaugan contends:

"We have many fragmented ecosystems in Europe, and not enough bridges between those ecosystems to make it easy for companies to go from one country to the other and to really build their European footprint."

This makes it challenging for startups and scaleups to determine the important people in the desired ecosystem necessary things for breaking into a new market.

Know the key stakeholders

The ECA can assist with introductions to corporations, such as connecting a founder to Deutsche Telekom. But startups and scaleups need to run with this.

Vaugan advises, "If you get a warm intro, that's great. But then you have to take this small little plant in your hands and make it grow into a tree."

Think bigger and travel

Vaugan asserts that many think too small, failing to get on the ground where they want to expand their markets:

"You have to open your ears and your eyes from day one and do small things like going to international events. I tell startups that going from Paris to Frankfurt is a three-hour train ride, so go explore another country.

When you talk to founders, and they say, 'okay, I don't know, it's not working in Germany.' I ask, when have you been there for the last time? If you want to develop the German market, you have to be there every month, at least for several days."

Learn and accommodate cultural difference

Furthermore, understanding cultural differences is a key part of scaling. Vaughan notices a big difference in potential client expectations between French and German companies in terms of data privacy and documentation, and the level of technical detail in a pitch.

"As a founder, you need the ability to adapt to the person in front of you and how to work with them."

A German company typically "wants to have a lot of information before engaging commercially with a company." They want full certainty before signing a contract.

In France, it's more 'Okay, I get your problem, I get your product, I get who you are, where you're coming from, you're coming out of this university and have funding by this VC'.

So you get this inherent trust, and they say, 'Let's go for a project, and figure the rest out afterwards.'*

Vaugan also recommends connecting with local startups in your target region because "No VC or advisor can really explain the market to a founder like a founder can."

Traditional industries need to take a risk

At the same time as startups and scales up look for expansion, Vaugan shared that large corporations are looking to understand how other European companies work together with startups.

European corporations need to be risk-takers. For example, taking a chance on a small cybersecurity firm from France: "And that's the problem. Because there's a saying that says no one has ever been shot for choosing IBM."

Build a strong cross-European network

Members of the alliance gain skills that help forge stronger connections here in Europe as well as access to events, coaching sessions, and a network of like-minded tech companies, corporates, and experts.

Vaugan cites the example of connecting a small German space tech company to one in the French space tech scene. The German founder took the intro and ran with it, collaborating with the ECA and French German Business Club to organise a webinar about European Space tech.

What followed was a partnership between the companies, which included working on projects and serving customers together, opportunities which would have been lost if the German founder decided to automatically focus on the US.

Sovereignty matters

Sovereignty is a key focus as the ECA believes the migration of critical technologies such as cybersecurity, cloud computing, smart industry, and climate tech to foreign investment puts the strategic sovereignty of Europe in key industries at risk.

This further the region's ability to drive innovation and secure its long-term economic growth.

While the ECA has largely focused on France, Germany and neighbouring regions, due to the limitation of time, they welcome involvement from other locations wanting to use its platform or tools.

The Alliance welcomes all types of members headquartered in Europe and wants to see a unified and strong European startup ecosystem.

The ECA is hosting its first large physical event, the European Champions Day 2023, on May 11th, uniting all facets of the European Deeptech ecosystem for a collaborative exchange of growth strategies, success stories, hurdles, and challenges.

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Outlook on the Blockchain Technology Global Market to 2028 … – GlobeNewswire

Dublin, March 27, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Blockchain Technology Market by Use Case, Business Model, Solutions, Services and Applications in Industry Verticals 2023 - 2028" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

This report examines the technology, leading companies, and solutions in the evolving blockchain ecosystem. The report evaluates current and anticipated use cases for blockchain and assesses the market potential globally, regionally, and segmented by deployment type and industry vertical.

The report also evaluates key players, solutions, and use cases. The report also assesses the prospect of integrating blockchain with other technologies including IoT and artificial intelligence. The report includes forecasts by use case, application, and industry verticals from 2023 to 2028.

Select Report Findings:

Block technology provides a certain means of authentication, authorization, and accounting. Blockchain and related distributed authentication and accounting technologies are poised to transform ICT, and is so doing, causing substantial disintermediation across a wide variety of industry verticals.

Lessons learned in FinTech and traditional banking from the deployment and operation of decentralized authentication, clearing, and settlement will be applied towards many telecom and computing problems for the benefit of many industry verticals. The impact will be wide-ranging, including everything from investing/trading to the legal cannabis industry, and very deep in terms of changes to supply chains and relationships between vendors, customers, and peers.

Integration and operation of Blockchain technology will redefine how various industries operate, dramatically improving efficiencies, and reducing the cost of doing business. For example, start-up companies have been launched to provide software and microchip hardware that facilitates connected devices to operate on blockchain. Products have been designed to encrypt data, distribute information to blockchain-connected machines, and monetize these machines.

One important technology integration area is the Internet of Things (IoT), which is a very promising area as we anticipate that the use of Blockchain in IoT networks/systems will be one of the most important means for authenticating and authorizing transactions. For example, HYPR provides solutions to reduce cybersecurity risks in IoT devices through its decentralized credential approach. Their products reduce the need for passwords in a centralized server, replacing them with biometric and other password-free solutions. This provides for IoT devices that are virtually unhackable from a social engineering perspective.

Another important area for blockchain in telecommunications is resource identity including tracking ownership and care of custody of assets such as telephone numbers. Developments in this area may be leveraged to dramatically improve enterprise identity verification for voice and non-voice communications to consumers.

We also see Blockchain as a Service (BaaS) representing a key service offering for many market segments as a means of solution introduction and scalability via a cloud services model. For example, AI in supply chain management solutions combined with blockchain technology market solutions to dramatically improve SCM.

Key Topics Covered:

1.0 Executive Summary

2.0 Introduction

3.0 Blockchain Ecosystem and Marketplace3.1 Blockchain Types and Stakeholders3.2 Blockchain Applications3.2.1 Financial Services3.2.2 Non-Financial Services3.3 Blockchain Application in Industry Verticals3.3.1 Financial Industries3.3.2 Manufacturing and FMCG3.3.3 Government and Public Sectors3.3.4 Healthcare and Life Science3.3.5 Telecommunication, Media, and IT3.3.6 Automotive Vehicles and Transportation3.3.7 Retail and E-Commerce3.3.8 Other Sectors3.4 Blockchain in Internet of Things3.5 Blockchain as a Service3.6 Blockchain Stakeholders in ICT3.7 Blockchain to Improve Cybersecurity3.8 Blockchain Investment Analysis3.9 Important Blockchain Consortia and Associations3.9.1 R3cev Blockchain Consortium3.9.2 Post Trade Distributed Ledger Group3.9.3 Hyperledger Project3.9.4 Global Payments Steering Group3.9.5 Financial Blockchain Shenzhen Consortium3.9.6 Cu Ledger3.9.7 Blockchain Collaborative Consortium3.9.8 Wall Street Blockchain Alliance3.9.9 Japan Blockchain Association3.9.10 Korea Financial Investment Association3.9.11 Nimbrix Consortium3.9.12 B3i3.10 Blockchain Solutions in Industry Verticals3.10.1 Japan Exchange Group Blockchain Consortium3.10.2 Walmart Blockchain for Food Safety3.10.3 Ubitquity Blockchain in Real Estate3.10.4 HYPR and Blockchain Biometrics3.10.5 Whaleclub Trading Supported by Blockchain3.10.6 EasyBit Expands Bitcoin ATM Network to Vietnam3.10.7 Blockchain Technology as Medium to Declare Love and Marriage3.10.8 Bitcoin Boosts Solar Energy Industry3.10.9 LO3 Energy and Siemens Blockchain for Microgrids3.10.10 MasterCard Blockchain APIs3.10.11 ConsenSys and UAE Partnership for Blockchain Projects3.10.12 People's Bank of China Digital Currency3.10.13 China Halts withdrawals of Bitcoin3.10.14 Huiyin Group Bitcoin Fund3.10.15 BitFury Group and Blockchain3.10.16 Reserve Bank of India Blockchain Technology for Trade Applications3.10.17 YES Bank to Multi-nodal Blockchain Solution for Bajaj Electricals3.10.18 European Bank Digital Trade Chain3.10.19 BTL Group to Test Interbit Platform with Energy Companies3.10.20 BNP Paribas Test Blockchain-Based Real-Time Corporate Payments3.10.21 WISeKey to Establish IoT Blockchain Center of Excellence3.10.22 ARK Crew Testnet for Blockchain3.10.23 ICICI Bank and NBD Blockchain-based Transactions3.10.24 PAXOS Blockchain for Gold Settlement with Euroclear3.10.25 Microsoft and BAML Blockchain Improve Trade Finance3.10.26 Mahindra Group Blockchain Solution with IBM3.10.27 Chitkara University Blockchain for E-Documents3.10.28 UBS Expands Blockchain in China3.10.29 IBM China and UnionPay Permissioned Blockchain Network3.10.30 IBM and Beijing Energy-Blockchain Labs Use Blockchain for Carbon Trading3.10.31 European Central Bank and Japan Central Bank Explore Blockchain3.10.32 OneCoin Enhanced Blockchain3.10.33 Sompo Japan Use Blockchain for Catastrophe and Weather Derivatives3.10.34 Tech Bureau and Zaif Bitcoin Exchange3.10.35 Hitachi and BTMU Utilize Blockchain to Bank Check3.10.36 Senegal National Digital Currency3.10.37 Singapore Blockchain for Electronic Payment System3.10.38 Accenture and Digital Asset Holdings Blockchain Practice3.10.39 RISE Financial Technologies Post-Trade Blockchain Technology3.10.40 VISA to Introduce Blockchain-Based Solution for Payment Services3.10.41 Chain Inc. Released Open Source Blockchain Protocol3.10.42 Colu and Blockchain-Based Currencies3.10.43 DigitalX Partnership with Telefonica3.10.44 Eris Industries Partners with Ledger Improve Blockchain Hardware Security3.10.45 Monax Industries Partnership with Ledger for Blockchain Hardware Security3.10.46 German Central Bank, Deutsche Bundesbank Blockchain Trading Prototype3.10.47 UK Trials Blockchain Welfare Payment System3.10.48 Santander Blockchain for International Payments3.10.49 Electron Ethereum Blockchain in UK Energy Sector3.10.50 Bank of Russia Tests Masterchain3.10.51 GoCoin Merges with Ziftr3.10.52 Tunisia National Payment Platform3.10.53 Digital Asset Acquired Elevence3.10.54 NASDAQ Blockchain in Private Market with Chain Inc.3.10.55 AlphaPoint Blockchain Tool for Banks

4.0 Blockchain Market Dynamics4.1 Market and Technology Drivers4.1.1 Increased Blockchain within Traditional Financial Institutions4.1.2 Digitization for Improved Service Realization and Error Prevention4.1.3 Cloud-based Service Delivery Models4.2 Challenges and Opportunities4.2.1 Security Issues4.2.2 Regulation and Governance4.2.3 Mergers and Acquisitions

5.0 Blockchain Market Case Studies5.1 Blockchain Asset Management and Real Estate Case Study5.2 Blockchain Case Study for Government in the UAE5.3 Honeywell Aerospace creates online parts marketplace with Hyperledger Fabric5.4 SGX Used Amazon Managed Blockchain for an Innovative Payment Solution5.5 Zug Digital ID Case Study5.6 ING Group: KYC System on Blockchain5.7 Streamlining Efficiency in Logistics with IoT Blockchain5.8 Palm Oil Industry Case Study Using Blockchain and IoT

6.0 Blockchain Market Outlook and Forecasts 2023 - 20286.1 Global Market Forecast 2023 - 20286.2 Blockchain Markets by Solution 2023 - 20286.3 North America Blockchain Technology Markets 2023 - 20286.4 Europe Blockchain Technology Markets 2023 - 20286.5 Asia Pacific Blockchain Technology Markets 2023 - 20286.6 Middle East & Africa Blockchain Technology Markets 2023 - 20286.7 Latin America Blockchain Technology Markets 2023 - 2028

7.0 Blockchain Vendor Analysis7.1 21, Inc.7.1.1 Company Overview7.1.2 Recent Development7.2 Accenture7.3 Abra, Inc.7.4 Alphapoint Corporation7.5 Amazon7.6 Baidu7.7 Bitfury Group7.8 Blockchain Global Limited7.9 BlockCypher, Inc.7.10 Bloq7.11 BTL Group (Blockchain Tech Ltd.)7.12 Interstellar, Inc.7.13 Circle Internet Financial Limited7.14 Coinbase7.15 Coinfirm Ltd.7.16 ConsenSys Systems7.17 Credits7.18 Dell Technologies7.19 Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu7.20 Digital Asset Holdings7.21 Digitalx Ltd.7.22 DMG Blockchain Solutions7.23 Earthport (Visa)7.24 Factom Inc.7.25 Fidelity Investments7.26 Global Arena Holding, Inc.7.27 HP7.28 Holo7.29 HyperLedger7.30 IBM Corporation7.31 Intelygenz7.32 IOTA7.33 Libra Services, Inc.7.34 Linux Foundation7.35 Microsoft Corporation7.36 Monax7.37 NASDAQ7.38 Overstock7.39 R37.40 Ripple7.41 ShoCard (Ping Identity)7.42 TenCent

8.0 Conclusions and Recommendations

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/o6678d

About ResearchAndMarkets.comResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends.

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SnapLogic CTO unveils SnapGPT and impact of GPT-4 on data and … – iTWire

GUEST OPINION: OpenAI recently introduced GPT-4, the latest version of its language model. This iteration provides significant improvement in generation and reasoning capability over the GPT-3 models. We believe GPT-4 and successor LLMs will transform the automation of data and application integration.

Large language models (LLMs) like GPT-4 can assist organizations to simplify and automate the integration of business processes and unify data across applications into data warehouses for reporting and for descriptive and predictive analytics.

At SnapLogic, our vision is to deliver frictionless integration and automation. We have helped pioneer the incorporation of AI and ML technology to streamline the integration, automation, and orchestration of data flows across enterprises. Our Iris AI solution, trained against over 7 petabytes of metadata, has already provided tremendous value to our customers over the last six years. We are now actively exploring the use of GPT-4 to enhance our platform capabilities further.

At SnapLogic, we have been prototyping a variety of integration and automation use cases using ChatGPT (GPT-3.5) to connect intent expressed in business language with technical implementation to realize the business goal. We wanted to see how GPT-4s increased reasoning and longer prompt support improved our integration-based use cases.

We have been rapidly testing and comparing our previous prompts against both GPT-3.5 and GPT-4. In addition, we have been experimenting with completely new and more demanding use cases. So far we are extremely impressed with the improved accuracy of the GPT-4 responses. It is worth noting that GPT-4 is currently more expensive per token (prompt length) and slightly slower in response generation. That said, the cost and time seem justified for the improved response accuracy.

Our interest is driven by the enormous pressure that enterprises face to increase agility while reducing costs. In our work, we find that process and data fragmentation from the simultaneous proliferation of departmental SaaS apps, the growing use of public and homegrown APIs, and the explosion of heterogeneous data from departmental business systems are some of the biggest obstacles to enterprise agility.

SnapLogic recently announced the release of SnapGPT, the first-ever generative AI solution for enterprise applications and the modern data stack. The new addition to the SnapLogic platform leverages AI to quickly integrate and automate business processes using natural language prompts.

With SnapGPT, IT and business users will be able to accelerate business innovation by automating and integrating data flows at speeds never seen before. Integrations that used to take weeks to deliver can now be generated to achieve rapid results in minutes. Business users simply specify their integration requirements in natural language and SnapGPT does the rest by creating all the necessary processing flows, expressions, or scripts needed to complete the task faster and more accurately than ever before.

Unpacking the business benefits of SnapGPT

At SnapLogic, we are excited to see the potential of GPT-4 and look forward to exploring its capabilities further as we continue to deliver our long-standing vision of frictionless integration and automation. We are moving fast, and are confident that by collaborating with the SnapLogic community, we will be able to deliver a new experience that is transformational in terms of time to value delivering results to the business at both the top and bottom line.

Businesses wanting to accelerate their technical workflows can join the SnapGPT waitlist at https://www.snaplogic.com/snapgpt-waitlist.

With more than two decades of experience, Jeremiah is a seasoned builder of advanced technology products and platforms that leverage the full power of AI to solve real business problems. He is responsible for guiding the continued development and future direction of SnapLogics Intelligent Integration Platform with industry-leading AI and machine learning at its core enabling customers to further speed the integration and automation process to drive breakthrough business results.

SnapLogic powers the automated enterprise. The companys self-service, AI-powered integration platform helps organizations connect applications and data sources, automate common workflows and business processes, and deliver exceptional experiences for customers, partners, and employees. Thousands of enterprises around the world rely on the SnapLogic platform to integrate, automate, and transform their business. Learn more atsnaplogic.com.

Connect with SnapLogic via our Blog, Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn.

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Cultural tourism of Shandong highlighted at Qingdao conference – PR Newswire

BEIJING, March 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- A news report from China Daily: Shandong displayed the province's latest achievements in the cultural tourism industry by hosting a tourism development conference for bureau and enterprise leaders across the world in the coastal city of Qingdao from March 26 to 27.

Themed "Meet with Fashionable Qingdao, Share Hospitality in Shandong", the 2023 Shandong Tourism Development Conference introduced investment channels of cultural tourism, promoted exchanges and mutual learning, stimulated market vitality and enhanced the province's brand.

Moreover, the event aimed to show the new image of Shandong and build a platform for leading cultural tourism companies to make an investment there.

During the conference, 18 key projects such as leisure vacations, ecological tourism and cultural creativity were signed, with a total investment of 44.96 billion yuan ($6.54 billion).

They include a tourism complex project on the Jiaodong peninsula and the Tangdao Bay Culture and Art Center, each with an investment of 3 billion yuan.

At the conference Qingdao issued stimulus policies at a cultural tourism promotion activity to attract investment. The initiative also aimed to complete the city's industrial chain system and develop new industrial advantages in cultural tourism.

Qingdao plans to provide a maximum subsidy of 5 million yuan for major cultural tourism projects invested by companies from outside the city; offer a maximum reward of 6 million yuan to local award-winning films; and provide a maximum subsidy of 3 million yuan to local cruise companies that operate regularly.

The city also issued cultural and tourism consumption vouchers through the "Cloud Tour in Qingdao" smart platform. The platform is an important part of the conference's digital cultural tourism experience sector.

According to the local government, the vouchers serve as an important measure to boost market confidence; are an innovative solution to apply smart cultural tourism products to people's lives; and encourage the public to participate in such activities and share the development achievements of the cultural tourism industry.

SOURCE China Daily

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Federalism vs Centralism, Bone Of Contention Among Iran Activists –

Whether the future government of Iran, after the Islamic Republic should be a federal or a centralized government is one of the most divisive issues among the activists.

Diaspora opposition groups and figures have held several gatherings and released various charters of solidarity and alliance in the past few months. Nearly unanimously, everyone says it is the Iranian people who should decide, through a referendum, the form of the future government in Iran.

The biggest diaspora alliance, the Alliance for Democracy and Freedom in Iran, which announced its existence in a February event at Georgetown University and issued its charter, the Mahsa Charter, in early March, advocates a secular-democratic system determined through a referendum but has not specified whether this could be a federal or a centralized government.

The alliance consists of the exiled Prince Reza Pahlavi, Nobel peace prize laureate Shirin Ebadi and Canada-based activist Hamed Esmaeilion, as well as US-based author, journalist and womens rights activist Masih Alinejad, actress and activist Nazanin Boniadi and Secretary General of the Kurdish Komala Party Abdullah Mohtadi.

The six members of the alliance stress that for the time-being they have agreed on minimal positions that could create the most consensus among the opposition and that it could be further improved.

Many who support the diaspora opposition have already made up their minds whether they want a republic or the return of the Pahlavi monarchy which was ousted by the Islamic Revolution of 1979. The true weight of those favoring one or the other tendency is not known.

Prince Reza Pahlavi has said that he will accept whatever form of government Iranians choose and at least on one occasion in the past has said that he personally favors a republic.

But some opposition supporters known as constitutionalists are staunchly against establishing a republic of any form in Iran, particularly federalism, seek the revival of a constitutional monarchy and the Iranian Constitution of 1906.

Among the members of the alliance, Mohtadi has been the most vocal advocate of ethnicity-linguistic-based federalism. I would personally like the charter to more clearly move towards [recognition of] federalism, he told Iran International on the sidelines of an opposition conference in Toronto, Canada, Sunday. At least two other members, Alinejad and Esmaeilion, also appear to be advocates of decentralization of the government or some type of federalism.

Any kind of ethnicity-based federalism will be a fascistic regress in Iran and [cause] violation of basic human rights. Ethnic groups are intertwined and drawing lines between Iranian ethnic groups on the imaginary ground that they are racially different will lead to years of civil war. We are one nation, the Iranian nation, one of the opponents of ethnicity-linguistic based federalism tweeted Tuesday.

Those favoring federalism, however, say economic, ethnic and religious inequality in a multi-ethnic and multilingual country like Iran requires recognition of ethnic differences and decentralization of the government. Many among them also demand recognition of other languages such as Kurdish, Turki, Balochi and Arabic as official languages and the right of non-Persian speakers to education in their mother tongues instead of Persian (Farsi).

Yet others advocate a non-ethnicity-linguistic-based form of federalism to avoid problems such as disputes over geographical boundaries of federal states in mixed ethnicity-linguistic areas of the country.

Many provinces in Iran have mixed ethnic or linguistic populations, such as West Azarbaijan or the oil-rich Khuzestan. Trying to create ethnically homogeneous provinces or states peacefully, would be next to impossible.

Yes to political and no to ethnicity defined federalism. Yes to American and no to Yugoslavian [types of federalism], @Ted_Mosbi1361 who is among Persian-language Twitter opposition influencers tweeted Friday.

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17th General Assembly of the West Africa Police Chiefs Committee … – ECOWAS

17th General Assembly of the West Africa Police Chiefs Committee (WAPCCO) in Niamey, Niger 29 Mar, 2023

ECOWAS is organizing the 17th General Assembly of the West Africa Police Chiefs Committee (WAPCCO) in Niamey, Niger from 28 to 30 March 2023.

This General Assembly provides a platform for the organization of three (3) meetings taking place successively with the main objective of sharing information and exchanging experiences on regional security issues.

The participants in this General Assembly are law enforcement officials, ECOWAS personnel, strategic partners, INTERPOL representatives and relevant security officers.

The culmination of the WAPCCO General Assembly is the meeting of Ministers in charge of security who consider and adopt the reports proposed by the 2 previous meetings.

The Specific Objectives of this General Assembly are among others : a) to review the state of implementation of the previous recommendations; (b) the exchange of information and the sharing of experiences and best practices between law enforcement authorities, security agencies and Interpol staff; c) increase understanding of the provisions and efforts of the ECOWAS Commission in law enforcement and other security-related areas; d) an overview of the activities of the Commission Secretariat and regional security dynamics;

A total of 5 interventions furnished the opening ceremony including that of the General Controller Tomas Djassi representing Guinea Bissau who affirmed that we are facing threats of insecurity of different types of transnational crimes such as terrorism, drug trafficking, trafficking in human beings, cybercrime, proliferation of small arms etc. , motivated by weak land border control, which is likely to facilitate the carrying out of these illicit activities.

Mr. Francis Rwego, Special Representative of INTERPOL to the African Union indicated the commitment in the fight against crime organized through some projects that INTERPOL Implements such as WAPIS, AGWE

Commissioner General of Police Oumarou Moussa, in his capacity as Director General of the National Police of Niger, thanked the participants and the ECOWAS Police Chiefs and recalled the importance of INTERPOL in the fight against organized crime

Amb. Abdel Fatau MUSAH (PhD) Commissioner, Political Affairs, Peace and Security of the ECOWAS Commission represented by Amb. Guillaume NDri GNAMIEN, Permanent Resident of ECOWAS to the Republic of Niger, stressed that ECOWAS regional integration vision aims to promote cooperation that would raise the standard of living of its people and ensure economic growth but that this vision can only be achieved in an environment of peace and security.

The Minister of the Interior and Decentralization of Niger, Mr. Hamadou Adamou Souley, reiterated the support of the Government of Niger in the fight against organized crime in West Africa. He further invited ECOWAS to continue and intensify initiatives to increase collaboration among Member States before declaring the session open.

The General Assembly of the WAPCCO will take place as follows, with the meeting of the Committee of Chiefs of Police on March 28, the meeting of the Committee of Security Services, on March 29 and will conclude with the meeting of Ministers responsible for internal security on March 30.

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How is blockchain like a car? – BusinessWorld Online

Alot of my friends in the industry messaged me about my inaugural article last week on blockchain, mostly asking me to explain it better for them. I get the impression that a big majority of people feel more anxious when they hear the word blockchain because they have absolutely no notion what it means to them. As someone whose background is in marketing, I can empathize with their confusion when they were just beginning to learn about social media, technologies, and digital platforms; but, the world has since moved on past them once more.

I attempted to allay their concerns by assuring them that they need not feel overpowered by the situation. It is not necessary for you to comprehend how blockchain works any more than it is necessary for you to know how to literally develop a mobile application or a website. What is more crucial is having an awareness of how it operates, how it can be utilized for commercial purposes, and how it relates to the work that is done on a daily basis.

Its the same as getting behind the wheel of an automobile. For one thing, I believe that I have mastered the art of driving, particularly in the congested streets of Manila. On the other hand, if my automobile breaks down, no amount of formal education will help me fix it. The same may be said about blockchain. It is not necessary for you to grasp how to construct a blockchain; all you need to do is comprehend the potential and advantages that come along with the technology.

There are many reasons why the technology behind blockchain is so crucial in todays society. The most important is decentralization. Blockchain technology makes it possible to create decentralized systems that can function without the participation of intermediaries like banks or other financial organizations. Because of this decentralization, transaction costs may be reduced, and increased transparency may result.

The second is safety. Blockchain relies on sophisticated cryptography to provide records that are both secure and impossible to alter. This security might be of utmost significance in domains such as financial transactions, where the threat of fraud and hacking is particularly high.

Third is that it is completely open. Blockchain technology generates a public and viewable ledger of all transactions, which can be accessed by anyone who has access to the network. This transparency has the potential to assist in increasing accountability and decreasing corruption.

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Fourth is its efficiency. Blockchain technology has the potential to improve efficiency by eliminating the need for third-party middlemen and making record-keeping more automated. This greater efficiency can contribute to cost reductions while also improving the delivery of services.

While blockchain technology is still in its infancy, there is a great deal of room for development in terms of new and creative applications. As the underlying technology continues to advance, we should anticipate the appearance of new uses in a wide variety of industries. Blockchain technology has the ability to completely transform how we handle financial transactions, keep records, and trade value with one another. Its unique combination of security, transparency, and decentralization makes it a significant technology for todays society, with ramifications for enterprises, governments, and individuals alike. This technology has the potential to revolutionize all of these spheres.

A COUNCIL TO DRIVE BLOCKCHAIN AWARENESS, GROWTHThe Blockchain Council of the Philippines is a business group with the mission of fostering the development of blockchain applications and encouraging their widespread implementation in the Philippines. In 2022, a collection of blockchain enthusiasts, entrepreneurs, business experts, and activists came together to create the council.

The major purpose of the council is to educate businesses, government organizations, and the general public about the benefits of blockchain technology and how it can be utilized to solve a variety of problems. This will be accomplished through education and outreach initiatives.

In addition to this goal, the council intends to act as a facilitator for collaboration between the many players in the blockchain ecosystem, such as startup companies, investors, developers, and legislators. We look forward to putting our country on the blockchain map, and, by working with all stakeholders in our countrys ecosystem, position us as the blockchain capital of the Asia.

Dr. Donald Lim is the founding president of the Blockchain Association of the Philippines and the lead convenor of the Philippine Blockchain Week. He is also the Asian anchor of FintechTV.

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How is blockchain like a car? - BusinessWorld Online

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DAMX: The Emerging Perpetual Exchange on Fantom – Yahoo Finance

DAMX

CANADA, ALBERTA, March 28, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cryptocurrency has become a hot topic in recent years, capturing the attention of investors and traders alike. While it has faced its fair share of controversies, it has also opened up new possibilities and transformed the financial sector. With the rise of cryptocurrency, there has been a surge in the number of exchanges that facilitate the buying and selling of digital assets; with the fall of FTX, traders have become more aware of whether their digital assets are within their own key, boosting the popularity of decentralized exchanges. Among these exchanges is the emerging decentralized spot and perpetual trading exchange, DAMX, which has quickly gained popularity in the market.

What sets DAMX apart from other exchanges is its focus on providing benefits to both investors and traders. The exchange supports low swap fees and zero-price impact trades, making it an attractive option for those looking to minimize costs. Additionally, DAMX has a unique multi-asset pool that rewards liquidity providers fees from market making, swap fees, and leverage trading. This pool incentivizes users to contribute to the liquidity of the exchange, leading to a more active market and better trading opportunities.

Perpetual Trading and Staking on DAMX

One of the key features of DAMX is its perpetual futures trading. Perpetual contracts are a popular means of trading in the cryptocurrency market, and DAMX has made it accessible to traders on its platform. With perpetual contracts, traders can bet on the future price of an asset without actually buying it. This allows them to profit from both upward and downward price movements, opening up new opportunities for trading.

Another standout feature of DAMX is its staking program. Holding the DAMX token unlocks a range of benefits, including the ability to stake tokens and earn rewards. Users that stake DAMX receive three types of rewards: escrowed DAMX, multiplier points, and FTM rewards. The exchange converts 30% of fees generated from swaps and leverage trading to FTM and distributes them to staked DAMX tokens. This program encourages users to hold onto their tokens and contribute to the liquidity of the exchange, leading to a more stable and active market.

DAMX NFT Collection

DAMXs NFT collection DAMX Robot Club'' also plays a huge role within the ecosystem to benefit the users with extra incentives to trade within the platform. All the NFTs holders will be entitled to:

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DAMXs first choice: Fantom

DAMX is built on the Fantom blockchain, which offers several advantages over other blockchains. One of the most significant advantages is its scalability. The Fantom network can handle a large volume of transactions per second, making it an ideal platform for trading. Additionally, the network provides high levels of security and decentralization, ensuring that transactions are safe and secure.

The exchange's underlying technology is designed to maintain the features of a decentralized exchange (DEX) while aggregating purpose-built price feeds to provide traders with the necessary tools to reduce the risk of liquidations. This approach harnesses liquidity from several DEXs, minimizing slippage on large orders while optimizing swap fees and token prices. The aggregators also protect users from pricing effects and failed transactions, providing a better user experience for the community.

DMAX has quickly emerged as a top-tier exchange in the cryptocurrency industry with its continuous development and growing community. The platform's focus on sustainability, low-cost fees, and security has made it a favorite among traders and investors alike. With dynamic pricing supported by Chainlink Oracles and an aggregate of prices from leading volume exchanges, DAMX has cemented its position as a leader in the world of cryptocurrency trading.

Caution: DAMX token has not been released yet, and code audit is in progress.

Website:

https://dmxdao.com

Twitter:

Telegram

https://t.me/DMX_CommunityAnnouncement Channel:https://t.me/DMX_Announcement

Medium

https://medium.com/@DMXDAO

Discord:

https://discord.com/invite/gWRfAVa6rw

Github:

https://github.com/orgs/dmxdao/repositories

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DAMX: The Emerging Perpetual Exchange on Fantom - Yahoo Finance

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IFAD and Burundi sign US$3 million grant to help cushion small … – ReliefWeb

Bujumbura/Rome, 28 March 2023: Today, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the Ministry of Finance, Budget and Economic Planning signed a US$3 million grant to help mitigate the ongoing impacts of the Ukraine crisis. The grant is part of IFADs Crisis Response Initiative (CRI) which seeks to protect livelihoods and build resilience in rural communities by addressing the urgent needs caused by the crisis, while tapping into new market opportunities for small-scale producers.

Agriculture is the backbone of Burundis economy and is the primary livelihood for 90 per cent of the countrys population. However, the sector is characterized by over exploitation and degradation of land, significant post-harvest losses, unequal access to land, disease outbreaks, poor agricultural practices, and limited access to inputs and markets. The continuous impacts from climate change and the recent COVID19 pandemic has increased the number of people going to bed hungry.

With the inflationary effects the Ukraine crisis has had on food and fertilizer prices the situation has become dire, putting these commodities out of reach for Burundi and many other countries that import them.

IFAD has supported Burundi for more than 40 years, helping the country build the agriculture sector and resilience of small-scale farmers who are the most affected by these crises. To be successful, IFAD continuously adapts its investments to meet the needs of Member states. With the shocks Burundi is currently facing, the grant funded by CRI offers crucial support to small-scale farmers to help them cope with the imminent challenges, Dagmawi Habte-Selassie, IFAD Country Director, Burundi.

The funds will be disbursed through the Agricultural Production Intensification and Vulnerability Reduction Project (PIPARV-B) to help 255,480 poor rural people protect their livelihoods and safeguard their food security. Small-scale farmers in Gitega, Karusi, Kayanza, Ngozi and Muyinga will receive hybrid maize seeds, climate resilient vegetable seeds, mushroom and pig kits.

Yesterday, IFAD celebrated its clear commitment to accompany Burundi in the transformation of its food systems with the inauguration of its new office space in Bujumbura. Though the Fund has operated in the country since the 1980s, this reflects the organizations decentralization efforts to bring IFAD closer to the people it serves. The office, under the guidance of the Country Director, will coordinate in-country investment and policy engagements with partners and stakeholders. To date, IFAD has co-financed 14 projects and programmes in Burundi for a total investment of US$681 million reaching over one million rural households.

Press release No.: IFAD/30/2023

IFAD is an international financial institution and a United Nations specialized agency. Based in Rome the United Nations food and agriculture hub IFAD invests in rural people, empowering them to reduce poverty, increase food security, improve nutrition and strengthen resilience. Since 1978, we have provided more than US$24billion in grants and low-interest loans to fund projects in developing countries.

A wide range of photographs of IFADs work in rural communities are available for download from its Image Bank.

Linda Odhiambo

Communication Analyst

l.odhiambo@ifad.org

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IFAD and Burundi sign US$3 million grant to help cushion small ... - ReliefWeb

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