VPN Is the First Layer You Should Pull On

Virtual private networks (VPNs) can be useful for all kinds of things, from streaming foreign sports to protecting your identity from heightened online surveillance. For cryptocurrency users, VPNs are particularly precious, providing access to exchanges that are geo-restricted, and enabling crypto activities to be completed on the web without leaving a privacy-betraying footprint.

The Rise of the VPN

Virtual private networks can be traced back to 1996 when a Microsoft staffer conceived a peer-to-peer tunneling protocol (PPTP). In many ways, the protocol functioned as a precursor to the VPNs we see today, providing a private, secure connection between a computer and the world wide web, as it was then known.

The advantages of having a permanently encrypted conduit to the web are manifold. Think about how often you unwittingly connect to insecure public wifi, for example, with everything from credit card numbers and social media log-ins vulnerable to theft. A VPN, which lets you connect to a remote server while masking your true location, provides peace of mind by safeguarding data from third-party interception. Virtual private networks also block persistent IP tracking, which is trickier to prevent than insidious third-party tracking e.g. from Google.

The Quest to Decentralize the VPN

VPNs can mitigate the worst data intrusions of centralized agencies (be it tech giants or governments), but they themselves are vulnerable to flaws inherent to centralization. This month, it emerged that popular provider NordVPN suffered a data breach in 2018 when a Finnish server in a rented data center was compromised. Although the company has asserted that no usernames or passwords were intercepted, the fiasco proves that VPNs are not invulnerable to the very attacks they endeavor to protect their users against.

Web3 architects intent on decentralizing all the things have naturally turned their attention to VPNs, where they see the potential to create more robust systems that aren’t vulnerable to the whims of central bodies acting unilaterally, be it hackers or law enforcement. Decentralized VPNs – dVPNs – work by apportioning a percentage of users’ upload bandwidth to carrying traffic for other users on the network. Although still very much in their infancy, dVPNS have the potential to obfuscate your crypto transactions and communications while eliminating the need for a central authority.

Why Cryptocurrency Users Should Consider a VPN

While everyday internet users are becoming more assertive with their privacy, motivated by widespread coverage of mass data collection and government snooping, bitcoiners have an even greater need for digital discretion. The cryptosphere, after all, has fallen prey to opportunistic hackers, with spear phishing and SIM-swapping just two examples of security breaches that have left traders out of pocket. A VPN is not a cloak of invisibility, granting its wearer carte blanche to evade or commit cyber crime with impunity, but it does heighten your security in a number of meaningful ways.

By encrypting your data when you trade, a VPN makes it more difficult for hackers to eavesdrop. Because VPNs conceal your IP address and prevent persistent IP tracking, your device’s location will not become connected to your wallet address. What’s more, using a remote server to mask your true location more effectively prevents targeted viruses and malware than many expensive software packages designed expressly for this purpose.

Of course, the advantages of VPN use extend beyond bolstering security. They can also widen your options by unblocking geo-blocked websites such as exchanges forbidden in your homeland. By granting unfettered access to otherwise verboten foreign portals, these networks can dramatically improve your trading experience. They can also prove a lifesaver, should your government suddenly censor access to an exchange in which you hold currency, for example.

How to Choose the Right VPN for Your Needs

There are many VPNs to choose from, some free, some paid, and all with pros as well as cons.

Firstly, make sure you pick a VPN that does not store user logs, which could conceivably be handed over to third parties. Some VPN providers insist that this information is mandatory to guarantee optimal service, but in reality, they often sell your data to advertisers. Needless to say, this runs contrary to the very purpose of using a VPN in the first place. In any case, you certainly don’t want time-stamped details of your VPN sessions – as well as sites visited and files downloaded – falling into the wrong hands.

Once you’ve sourced a provider with a definitive zero-log policy, you should think about connection speed, the number of servers in different countries (prioritizing those with multiple severs in privacy-friendly nations), the level of encryption offered, traffic-restriction policies and customer support. It might also be smart to select a VPN that accepts payment in cryptocurrency, which can further enhance your privacy.

Practise Safe Browsing

Using Incognito / Private Mode while using your Browsers

Privacy absolutists are eagerly awaiting the day when decentralized VPNs become production ready, citing a distrust of centralized gateways’ privacy policies and questions surrounding network stability. Currently Opera Browser has VPN function that you can rely on.

In the meantime, VPNs go a long way to ensuring safety and privacy in our hyper-connected world – and this applies to regular web users as well as those of us in the habit of transacting digital currency. Before you step out into the big bad web, take a moment to clad yourself in a VPN.

Do you think using a VPN provides added security when browsing the web? Let us know in the comments section below.

Reference: Bitcoin

Tags: #Security, #VPN

Source: https://xeonbit.com/vpn-is-the-first-layer-you-should-pull-on/

Scary and Sweet Halloween Facts to Trick

You've got your costume picked out, candy buckets filled, and party all planned — all that's left to do for the best Halloween ever is put your knowledge to the test. How much do you really know about Halloween? Turns out it's not only about who gets the most chocolate or creates the scariest costume.

Over the centuries, the holiday has evolved from a way of begging for food to one of the most commercialized days of the entire year. Here are the Halloween facts you need to know:

The holiday goes back more than 2,000 years

According to History.com, Halloween all started as a pre-Christian Celtic festival called Samhain (which means "summer's end") held around the first of November. It celebrated the final day of the harvest and the crossing of spirits over into the other world. People in Ireland, the United Kingdom, and Northern France would ward off ghosts by lighting sacrificial bonfires, and, you guessed it, wearing costumes.

Trick-or-treating has existed since medieval times

Back then, it was known as "guising" in Scotland and Ireland. Young people dressed up in costumes and asked for food or money in exchange for songs, poems, or other "tricks." Today, the tradition has morphed into children to getting dressed up and asking for candy.

Some Halloween rituals used to involve finding a husband

During the 18th century, ladies would follow Halloween traditions that would "help" them find a romantic match. Women would: Throw apple peels over their shoulder hoping to see their future husband’s initials, competitively bob for apples at parties because the winner would be the first to get married, and stand in a dark room with a candle in front of a mirror to look for their future husband’s face. Thankfully, those traditions have died out.

Immigrants helped popularize the holiday in the U.S

When Irish people fled their country in the 1840s due to potato starvation, they brought with them their Halloween tradition. By the 1920s, vacation, mischief, had reached its all-time high. Some believe that community-based cheating or treatment became popular in the 1930s as a way to control excessive hoaxes.

Sugar rationing during World War II halted trick-or-treating

After the rationing ended, the tradition grew into what we're familiar with today. Candy companies started launching advertising campaigns to capitalize on the ritual.

Now Halloween is the second largest commercial holiday in the country

It comes after only Christmas. Consumers spent approximately $9 billion (!) on Halloween last year, according to the National Retail Federation (NRF). That's A LOT of candy and costumes.

Americans spend about $86.79 on Halloween annual

That includes Halloween decorations, candy, costumes, and cards by the NRF definition. (If you're curious how that compares to Christmas, Americans spent an average of $1,007 on winter holidays in 2018.)

The Irish also brought us jack-o'-lanterns

As the story goes, an Irish man named Stingy Jack tricked the devil and therefore was not allowed into heaven or hell — so he spent his days roaming the Earth, carrying a lantern, and went by "Jack of the Lantern."

Carved out of turnips, potatoes, and beets

Jack-'o-lanterns originated in Ireland, after all. Once Halloween became popular in America, people used pumpkins instead.

Traditional Halloween bread in Ireland

It's called barmbrack or just "brack." The sweet loaf typically contains dark and golden raisins plus a small toy or ring. Similar to king cake at Mardi Gras, tradition dictates the person who finds the item will receive good fortune.

Disney almost made 'Hocus Pocus'

The original title Disney's Halloween House also went along with a much darker and scarier script, according to IMDB. Another fun fact: Leonardo DiCaprio nearly played Max Dennison, but he turned it down to appear in What's Eating Gilbert Grape instead.

Illinois has five times more pumpkins than others

The Land of Lincoln has more than 15,000 acres devoted to gourd growing, according to the United States Department of Agriculture. Those Illinois farms typically grow more than 500 million pounds of pumpkins annually.

 "chicken feed"

The Goelitz Confectionery Company sold boxes with a rooster on the front in order to appeal to America's agricultural roots, according to National Geographic. The sugary recipe has gone largely unchanged since the 1880s.

'Monster Mash' once reigned supreme on the Billboard charts

Bobby "Boris" Pickett reached #1 on the Hot 100 in 1962 just before Halloween and later recharted in 1973 — but this time in August.

Pumpkin patch in Hawaii

Head to Waimanalo Country Farms in Oahu to pick pumpkins while you're on the islands. Looking for squash in Florida? Try the Pickin’ Patch in Dunnellon. (It's a watermelon farm the rest of the year!)

The Michael Myers mask in 'Halloween' has a fascinating backstory.

The famous horror movie villain has surprisingly innocent roots. When shooting the original 1978 film, production designer Tommy Lee Wallace picked up two masks from a Hollywood Boulevard magic shop: a clown and William Shatner as Captain Kirk in Star Trek.

"Tommy came in with the clown mask on, and we went, 'Ooh, that’s kind of scary.' Then he put on the Shatner mask, and we stopped dead and said, 'It’s perfect,'" actor Nick Castle told the New York Times. They spray-painted it white, cut the eye holes bigger, and the rest is history.

16.47 seconds the fastest pumpkin carving

Stephen Clarke holds the honor. The jack-o'-lantern had to contain a complete face, including eyes, nose, mouth, and ears.

New York City throws the biggest Halloween parade in the U.S

It draws more than 2 million spectators and includes thousands participants, but it started out as a simple idea from Greenwich Village resident (and puppeteer!) Ralph Lee — a walk from house to house for his children and their friends. When the local theatre got wind of it, they turned it into a bigger event — and it's gotten bigger (and more theatrical) every year since.

Princesses and Superheroes are the most popular children's costumes

Adults are most likely to dress as witches, according to the National Retail Federation. As for our pets? The most popular costume for dogs in 2018 was a pumpkin.

Skittles are the top Halloween candy

The bite-sized candies outranked M&M's, Snickers, and Reese's Cups, according to 11 years of sales data from CandyStore. And even though candy corn also made the top 10, the tricolored treats also ranked among the worst Halloween candies.

A city in Canada banned teens over 16 from trick-or-treating

According to CBC, anyone over the age of 16 caught trick-or-treating — or even just wearing masks — in Bathurst, Canada, faces up to a $200 fine. The city also has a curfew for everyone else, so even those under 16 aren't allowed out after 8 p.m. on Halloween.

Harry Houdini died on Halloween in 1926

The famous magician, illusionist, and entertainer died from peritonitis caused by a ruptured appendix, but multiple contradicting reports caused quite the mystery around his death.

Suspend black cat adoptions for Halloween

They feared that the animals were in danger of satanic cults in the days leading up to Halloween. Nowadays, some shelters promote black cat adoptions in October and use interviews to weed out anyone with the wrong intentions.

Keene, New Hampshire, holds the record for the most jack-o’-lanterns on display

In October 2013, the city broke the record with 30,581 lit pumpkins around town. Pretty impressive, right?

The night before Halloween is called Mischief Night or Goosey Night in some places

October 30 is a night popular for pulling pranks — some harmless like throwing toilet paper in trees, but others much more dangerous. It really only happens places on East Coast and in the Midwest, as the traditions never really made their way to the West Coast.

What's your Halloween Custome? Share and comment below

Reference: Goodhousekeeping

Tags: #Halloween, #TrickOrTreat

Source: https://xeonbit.com/scary-and-sweet-halloween-facts-to-trick/

Win Christmas Gift and Happy New Year 2020

[RF_CONTEST contest='C23137343233']

Please comment below with your Twitter and Facebook to be eligible as winner.

Tags: #Christmas, #HappyNewYear, #Xeonbit

Source: https://xeonbit.com/win-christmas-gift-and-happy-new-year/

Happy Diwali 2019

Wishing that this Diwali brings prosperity to your business and more opportunities for us to work together!

Tags: #Deepavali, #Dipavali, #Divali, #Diwali, #Xeonbit, #XeonbitToken, #XNB, #XNS

Source: https://xeonbit.com/happy-diwali-2019/

How Fiat System to Accept Cryptocurrency

 Fiat payment gateways are no longer the enemy of bitcoin. Today the fiat and crypto worlds are bridged and doing business. Many centralized payment processors have learned to live with decentralized currency.

Enemies become Frenemies

In the early days of Bitcoin era, traditional fiat payment systems were an unfriend of cryptocurrency. Paypal was the on-ramp for the first bitcoin exchange, though it was a short-lived affair. Cold feet on the part of fiat payment systems, once they caught wind of exactly what bitcoin was, saw crypto payments banned altogether, but in the years since, the tide has turned. Today, centralized and decentralized payment systems are more closely aligned than ever.

The overlords of traditional finance are enamoured with crypto, but they have turned a blind eye to the practice of cashing in and out of crypto using fiat gateways. For most bitcoiners, begrudging acceptance from centralised systems is good enough. Some payment solutions have gone further though, extending a warm embrace to crypto assets, as the following examples show.

Skrill

Founded in 2001 as Moneybookers Limited, then rebranded a decade later as Skrill, it took the online payment platform a further seven years before it started allowing users to buy and sell cryptocurrency, in the summer of 2018. CEO Lorenzo Pellegrino gushed about crypto when the announcement was made, venturing that cryptocurrency trading was “exciting and dynamic” and that Skrill’s digital wallet service lent itself to the environment.

Skrill’s cryptocurrency offering lets users from over 30 countries trade digital tokens including BTC, ETH, LTC, BCH, XRP, and ZRX, after partnering with an unnamed exchange to facilitate the service. Conversion from 40 fiat currencies into crypto is swift, and requires no additional verification. It’s a far cry from the company’s circumspect attitude to crypto in the years since bitcoin launched in 2008. A Skrill blog from earlier this year demonstrated the company’s evolving outlook: “If the past decade was cryptocurrencies’ proof of concept stage, the next decade will see them become rooted in the everyday fabric of life.” Bullish words.

Paypal

It’s possible to deposit and withdraw from crypto exchanges such as Coinbase and Gocoin using Paypal, and has been since Paypal formed a partnership with the companies in mid-2015. The online payments giant was also on board with Facebook’s new Libra cryptocurrency, and although it withdrew from the project earlier this month, it’s evident that Paypal is now pro-blockchain.

Consider, for example, the company’s filing of a patent last year to increase cryptocurrency payment speed by utilizing secondary private keys, thereby cutting wait times for transactions between merchants and consumers. Although bitcoin isn’t a major focus at Paypal, Chief Financial Officer John Rainey notes that the company “have teams clearly working on blockchain and cryptocurrency” and “want to take part in whatever form that takes in the future.”

Credit Card

Credit card giants Visa and Mastercard have blown hot and cold on crypto, and a number of banks that issue their cards have banned cryptocurrency purchases altogether. Through third parties that operate on the financial rails controlled by the credit card giants, however, bitcoiners can cash in and out of crypto using credit and debit cards. Companies like Simplex are also helping in this respect. The Israeli-based payment processor allows crypto merchants to accept payments via credit card, backed by machine-learning algorithms that eliminate fraud, providing protection against chargebacks.

Debit Card

The last two years have seen the emergence of crypto debit cards that combine a cryptocurrency wallet with a conventional debit card that can be funded through liquidating cryptocurrency directly within the app. There have been speed bumps along the way, such as when Visa subsidiary Wavecrest withdrew service for several crypto card companies, but the sector has flourished since that upset. Centralized crypto wallet services such as Wirex and Revolut are now joined by a decentralized counterpart in Monolith. It enables users to retain custody of their crypto right up until the point that they liquidate it to load it onto their debit card.

The New Norm

Today it’s much easier to purchase cryptocurrency than it was 10, five or even two years ago. The aforementioned firms are not the only payment processors keen to satisfy their customers by integrating with decentralized finance, incidentally. Last year, Square, best known for its payment-processing hardware such as chip and PIN readers, was licensed to offer New York residents the ability to transact bitcoin on its Cash App, causing shares of the company to hit a 52-week high.

There are still concerns over excessive KYC, financial surveillance on both the fiat and blockchain sides, and the propensity of fiat gateways to withdraw service at the drop of a hat. Nevertheless, the cryptosphere finds itself in a far stronger position than at any time in its short history. If centralized and decentralized payment systems can learn to co-exist, everyone stands to benefit.

Do you think traditional payment processors are more accepting of cryptocurrency these days? Let us know in the comments section below.

Source: Bitcoin, Cointelegraph

Tags: #Bitcoin, #CreditCard, #Cryptocurrency, #DebitCard, #FiatMoney, #Mastercard, #Paypal, #Revolut, #Simplex, #Skrill, #Visa, #Wirex

Source: https://xeonbit.com/how-fiat-system-to-accept-cryptocurrency/

AML laws apply to crypto

Anti-Money Laundering (AML) laws apply to everyone. The US Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) Director Kenneth Blanco spoke at the University of Georgetown where he made it clear.

On Oct. 21, banking trade publication American Banker reported that Blanco said that fintech firms offering cryptocurrency users anonymity must comply with AML laws “just like everyone else.”

Blanco highlights responsibilities and the Bank Secrecy Act

Blanco seemed to direct his comments toward anonymous crypto payment systems that could conceal criminal activity and or enable users to anonymously engage in criminal behavior. 

The FinCEN head pointed in his speech to the key objective of AML policy, which is obtaining information about who is involved in a payment transaction, saying:

"There is a reason you want to know ... the person on the other side of that transaction — they might be dealing in some kind of illicit activity. Whether it’s opioids ... or human smuggling on the other side ... you want to know who that person is.”

Blanco told the audience that it is not that hard to obtain that information. “All we’re asking for is name, address, account number, transaction, recipient, and amount,” he said, adding:

“So when you tell me you don’t know who’s on the other side, you’ve got a big problem. Because you are required to know, and that is what our expectation is going to be."

Earlier this month, the chairmen of the three primary financial regulators in the U.S. released a joint statement warning crypto users of AML and Combating the Financing of Terrorism obligations, reminding crypto companies that they are subject to the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA). Blanco said in this regard:

"Your BSA obligations are still going to be there [...] Whether you're stablecoin, centralized, decentralized — [it] doesn’t matter. You’ll still have to be able to comply."

Although Blanco did not address Facebook’s Libra stablecoin, he did make it clear that as far as FinCEN is concerned, there is no distinction between stablecoins and any other types of cryptocurrency. 

FinCEN was directed by Congress to study blockchain tech 

Cointelegraph previously reported that the U.S. House of Representatives has passed a bill that calls for FinCEN to study blockchain technology in its fight against financial crime. The bill requires director Kenneth Blanco to carry out a study on the use of emerging technologies, such as blockchain technology, within FinCEN.

Reference: Cointelegraph

Tags: #AML, #AntiMoneyLaundering, #Cryptocurrency, #Facebook, #Libra, #Xeonbit, #XeonbitToken, #XNB, #XNS

Source: https://xeonbit.com/aml-laws-apply-to-crypto/

Privacy Is Key to Enterprise Blockchain Adoption

“Blockchain is going to be the tool that ties together not just individual companies, but whole business ecosystems and networks,” says EY global innovation lead Paul Brody. “Enterprises will not go on to the public mainnet without privacy and security.”

In this interview with Christine Kim, Brody discusses a range of privacy solutions, including Nightfall, EY’s open source code repository. The protocol integrates zero-knowledge proofs with smart contracts, enabling private transactions on the public ethereum blockchain.

Procurements are one particular use case. Any enterprise that can leverage different pricing models often leaves money on the table when making purchase orders. Nightfall, however, can set up smart contracts “without any additional administrative or operational overhead” that execute at the best price, Brody argues.

Reference: Coindesk

Tags: #Blockchain, #Privacy, #Xeonbit, #XeonbitToken

Source: https://xeonbit.com/privacy-is-key-to-enterprise-blockchain-adoption/

How to Use Dex Xeonbit A Step by Step Guide

The privacy-focused DEX Xeonbit, does not have any restrictions, “no name, no document, no document, no email, no bank info.” DEX will support any ERC-20 token and anybody can list their token on it.




This opens a whole new world of freedom for anybody trading any crypto, irrespective of identity, region, regulation.

Log In

• Open https://dex.xeonbit.com/ in your browser.

• Immediately after you log in this pops up. Whitelisting enables you to trade on the platform without any fees.

• If your browser is using Metamask dex.xeonbit.com will automatically request to unlock your Metamask Wallet

• Or else go to the top right and click on Select Account — New account

• Once you click on New account, you will receive your Ethereum Address and Private Key. Keep your private key somewhere safe. Do not share with others.

(There’s no crypto in this account for you to take. Sorry!)

• Once you click OK, you are logged in. See your Ethereum address on the Top Right Corner.

Security Set-Up

Before looking into other features, let’s check the security set up first.

• In case you accidentally log out, you can always import your account

• Use your Ethereum address and saved Private Key to import account.

• You can export your Private Key anytime and keep it safe

• You can also use your Ledger Nano S, to do transactions securely.

DEX

• We can log in from 2 accounts and switch between them.

• Whitelist Checker

• The whitelist checker takes you to the SwitchDex platform where you can check if your Ethereum address is whitelisted.

• The Balance Tab

• Add Token – This option is for companies to add their coin for free in the DEX.

Trade

• The DEX has the following pairs: ETH, DAI, WBTC, TUSD

Reviewing the Orderbook

So, we moved to an Orderbook which has volume. We selected the ESH/ETH trading pair.

Let us look into a buy scenario

• The order price shows the last traded price and not the lowest sell price

• If we manually click on the lowest sale price, it takes the entire volume and the price. It does not actually insert the price in my buy box (like other exchanges)

• So, we will manually insert the lowest sale price (you can also decide your own buy price) and click on buy ESH.

No transfer from the main account to trading account needed (like on IDEX)

It should come up in the order.

• The actual amount will be shown in my balances. (In this example, we have not made an actual purchase, hence balance is zero).

• You can withdraw whenever needed.

• DEX Looks clean and easy to use;
• User Interface needs some sharpening – with the headers in the buy and sell orders not coming up;
• Page scroll function is not complete;
• DEX is slow and should pick up over time;
• BTC trading pair is not present’
• Not much volume right now. It should pick up with time;
• Backend security looks fine as it has overcome repeated DDOS attacks.

“This is just the Beta and we need to just play with it, things should be stable soon.”
John McAfee

We suggest you try your first taste of DEX with small amount of crypto, it might be worth it.




Reference: altcoinbuzz



Tags: #DEX, #McAfee, #Xeonbit, #XeonbitToken

Source: https://xeonbit.com/how-to-use-dex-xeonbit-a-step-by-step-guide/

A Negative Interest Rate For German Retail Customers

One of Germany’s largest cooperative banks has begun charging its retail customers a negative interest rate. While the European Central Bank cut the deposit rate to a record low, other major banks could follow it up. Deutsche Bank recently said that it needs to be “much more robust about passing on negative rates.”

Berliner Volksbank

Describing itself as “the largest regional cooperative bank in Germany”. Berliner Volksbank is one of the largest German cooperative banks. Total assets are approximately 14 billion euros (~$15.4 billion). The bank started applying a minus 0.5% rate on deposits exceeding 100,000 euros (~$110,000) last week, effectively charging customers half a percent to hold their savings.

So far, most German banks have not passed on the negative interest rate burden to retail customers, opting to absorb the costs themselves to uphold their reputation and prevent mass withdrawals

Negative interest rates are crazy. That means money is not worth anything any more … As long as we have negative interest rates, the financial industry will continue to shrink.

a former Credit Suisse CEO and an ex-executive of UBS Group AG

Meanwhile, German Finance Minister Olaf Scholz said last month that he had told banks not to pass on the ECB’s negative interest rates to savers. He was quoted by Reuters as saying:

I told [the] bank chief very clearly that it would be a fairly bad idea to react by slapping negative rates on millions of savers.

Source: Bitcoin

Tags: #CentralBanks, #Germany, #Xeonbit, #XeonbitToken

Source: https://xeonbit.com/a-negative-interest-rate-for-german-retail-customers/

France More Than 5000 Shops Accept Crypto

France is apparently seeing a surge in cryptocurrency adoption. In late September, over 25,000 points-of-sale of 30 French retailers had been installed. Including sportswear giant Decathlon and cosmetics store Sephora will start accepting BTC payments by early 2020. As earlier in September, the French unit of Domino's Pizza launched an ordering competition with a prize of $110,000 in Bitcoin or cash.

On Sept 12, French Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire claimed that French authorities do not plan to tax crypto-to-crypto trades. Rather will consider taxation when crypto is sold for fiat money.

The acceptance of cryptocurrencies is a real challenge for retailers. We are aware of the expectations of the public and the scope of the message we send to a whole community. We are happy to be able to make this ecosystem more concrete for consumers and to enter the crypto-economy in a legal framework.

Gregory Hervein one of the 30 retailers that will use crypto service said

Source: Cointelegraph

Tags: #Cryptocurrency, #France, #Privacy, #Xeonbit

Source: https://xeonbit.com/france-more-than-5000-shops-accept-crypto/

Cryptocurrencies Attempt to Break Resistance

 On Monday, a number of cryptocurrencies gained between 2-5% over the course of the day. Crypto prices have held steady into the next day and many digital assets will likely test key resistance levels in order to press forward.

Strong Resistance Lies Ahead

On October 6, the price of BTC fell below the $8K region to a low of $7,800 per coin. The following day saw some recovery as crypto bulls started to regain control. Since the big drop on Sunday, roughly $22 billion has been added to the combined market capitalisation of all 2,000+ digital assets. Tuesday, October 8, BTC is trading for $8,238 per coin and is up 0.51%. BTC has an overall market cap of around $148 billion and $16.6 billion in trade volume. These metrics have attributed to BTC dominance (the coin’s market capitalization in relation to the entire cryptoconomy’s valuation) dropping to a low of 66%.

Researcher Believes a Bitcoin ETF Is Imminent

“We’re closer than we’ve ever been before to getting a bitcoin ETF approved,” Hougan said during an interview on Monday on CNBC’s ETF Edge broadcast. “Sometime before Monday, the SEC has to give its decision: yes or no. They have no more ways to postpone it at this point,” Hougan insisted. “We will hear clearly between now and Monday what they think, and then, depending on what we hear, we’ll go forward from there. But it should be a very exciting week.” Many speculators think that the upcoming ETF decision is directly attributed to the rise in crypto prices. After rejecting countless bitcoin ETF attempts in the past, the SEC plans to make its decision on the Bitwise ETF on October 13, 2019.

Patterns Show Continued Downtrend

Cold Blooded Shiller believes BTC prices will continue following the downtrend which started after prices attempted to surpass the $14K mark and then consolidated around the $9,500 to $10,500 zone. While sharing a chart showing the BTC daily Renko, Shiller said the “downtrend is in full swing.”

Monetary Easing, Safe-Haven Assets, and 2019’s Market Performances

Despite all the scary headlines and central bankers like the Federal Reserve initiating a domino effect of monetary easing practices, some economists believe the economy is not that terrible. For instance, in the U.S. an investment strategist at BCA Research, Doug Peta, told the public that the labor market “remains vibrant enough to exert downward pressure on the unemployment rate, and services continue to expand despite the contraction in manufacturing, both here and abroad.” This was followed by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics disclosing that the unemployment rate is at its lowest since 1969.

Nevertheless, a few data points do not outweigh the massive number of speculators who believe the economy will falter very soon. This has put the spotlight on safe haven assets like gold, which remains above the $1,500 spot price per ounce. However, even with the year-long gold rally seeing prices spike by 20%, Goldman Sachs has calledBTC the best-performing asset class in 2019.

Source: Bitcoin

Tags: #Bullish, #Cryptocurrency, #Market

Source: https://xeonbit.com/cryptocurrencies-attempt-to-break-resistance/

No Restrictions Decentralized Token Exchange from McAfee

On the heels of launching his crypto platform, McAfee Magic, the former antivirus software tycoon John McAfee plans to launch a distributed exchange on Monday, October 7. ‘McAfeedex’ will run on the Ethereum blockchain and McAfee insists the exchange will have no restrictions.

No name, No documents, No email, No bank info

McAfee Magic connects people to over 500 digital currencies and has gathered 11,743 users so far. On Friday, McAfee told the public that he’s now launching an exchange called McAfeedex which “requires no name, no documents, no email, no bank info” to use. “Transaction details are private and nothing is monitored — Nothing recorded and no restrictions,” McAfee explained. The former anti-virus software tycoon further added:

We have the tools: Distributed exchanges and privacy coins.

Source: Bitcoin

Disclaimer: This editorial is intended for informational purposes only. Readers should do their own due diligence before taking any actions related to the mentioned company, trading platform or any of its affiliates or services. xeonbit.com or the author is not 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.

Tags: #DecentralizedExchange, #DEX, #McAfee

Source: https://xeonbit.com/no-restrictions-decentralized-token-exchange-from-mcafee/

Create an Anonymous Digital Identity Using Cryptocurrency

If you could go back in time and do the internet all over again, what would you change? Would you think twice about joining Facebook, decline to upload those fancy dress photos from ‘09 and delete that rhetoric-laden blog post instead of hitting ‘Publish’? It’s too late to undo the mistakes of the past, but it is possible to start afresh by creating a new online identity using privacy tools and cryptocurrency. Here’s how.

How to Disappear (Almost) Completely

Disappearing in real life is hard. It calls for giving up your friends, family, and favourite places. It means changing your name, documents, ID, employer, and location. It’s a virtually impossible task, which is why so few people achieve it. Criminals who go on the run rarely last long; they’re usually busted by a phone call home or an inability to blend into their new surroundings and keep a low profile. You also can find out more from How to Disappear From The Internet Completely While Leaving False Trails (Raymond Phillips). Also free downloads for our Xeonbit membership (upon request).

A Life Worth Living Twice

This article is intended as a guide for how a person might start afresh online, using encryption, anonymity tools, pseudonyms, and cryptocurrency. It’s not a blueprint to follow meticulously, and it’s not going to be for everyone.

Even if you’re not intent on retiring your public persona and starting from scratch, there are tools and techniques contained herein that everyone – cryptocurrency users especially – can use to reclaim some privacy.

We were free and easy with the information we shared online in the early aughts because we didn’t foresee the compliance-crazy, language-policed, blockchain-survived anticipation we now inhabit. Who knows what the AI-powered internet of the future will look like, but it’s a safe bet it will be a distinctly less private one. The steps you take now to bolster your pseudonymous could pay dividends further down the line.

Step 1: Pick Your Persona

While it’s possible to operate as more than one persona on the web, complete with multiple Twitter accounts, business profiles and emails, it’s a mission best left to the spooks. Assuming a single pseudonym allows you to be yourself, minus the real name. Trying to run two or more identities in parallel is fraught with risk, and you’re never more than a misplaced message away from blowing your cover.

Step 2: Pick Your Profession

While there’s nothing stopping you from working a 9-5 at Starbucks while larping as a gender neutral unicorn on the web, the beauty of living today is that you can work remotely, and be handsomely remunerated without needing to disclose your real name, address or social security number. There are numerous industries where this is achievable, but tech – and crypto in particular – are ideal.

Aside from the obvious benefit of getting paid in digital currency, crypto is a sector where what you can do is worth a lot more than who you are. If you’re a proficient programmer, your Github commits are the only validation your username needs. If your code checks out, you won’t struggle for work. For programmers just starting out, responding to bounties on Gitcoin is a good place to show your skills and earn some digital crumbs.

Other jobs that lend themselves well to aspiring anons include copywriting, video editing, graphic design, and web development.

Step 3: Set Your Privacy Level

Privacy exists on many levels, and unless you’re performing something illicit like operating a darknet marketplace, you don’t need to obsess over opsec. For most people, privacy can be categorized into consumer and professional levels, with the latter describing anyone who wishes to hold down an online job anonymously.

Consumer-grade privacy: Use a pro-privacy web browser, disable trackers, consider using encrypted email, limit your reliance on crypto platforms that require KYC, and mix your coins before sending them to long-term storage.

Professional-grade privacy: Use an encrypted email service, thoroughly mix your coins before sending them to accounts that could be tied to your identity, always use a VPN, disable Javascript in your browser, and take an array of other opsec steps that may seem onerous at first but will soon become second nature.

Step 4: Cash Out Carefully

Getting paid in cryptocurrency is relatively easy these days, as is paying for goods and services, now that thousands of retailers accept digital assets. You can’t pay for all of life’s expenses in crypto, though, and converting from cryptocurrency to fiat can be tricky. Selling coins for cash P2P is the obvious answer.

Living Pseudonymously Is Not as Lonely as It Sounds

Living a pseudonymous life on the web, never revealing your real face or name, may sound like a lonely and even paranoid existence, but it needn’t be. You’re not in the witness protection scheme, and are free to associate with friends and family. Discretion is required, admittedly, and there will be aspects of your life you’ll need to compartmentalize. For a subset of crypto proponents, shedding the social metrics and personal branding typically associated with success is a small price to pay for economic freedom and absolute privacy.

Source: CD

Tags: #Privacy, #Xeonbit, #XeonbitToken, #XNB, #XNS

Source: https://xeonbit.com/create-an-anonymous-digital-identity-using-cryptocurrency/

Malware Botnet Attack on Crypto Wallet

Every year, millions of dollars of cryptocurrency stolen from crypto wallets. Security researchers were surprised to find one active botnet being run for just about $160.

The bargain Trojan malware is called MasterMana Botnet. It uses mass mailing to send phishing emails with attachments containing malicious code to crypto investors. Once someone clicks on the email, the code will create backdoors on their computer to empty their wallets.

72,000 machines over the course of 2019

Based on what we’ve observed, the MasterMana Botnet had a global impact on organizations across a wide variety of verticals. We assess that the Botnet was interacting with approximately 2,000 machines a week, or 72,000 machines over the course of 2019, based on the snapshot we observed.

Danny Adamitis, intelligence director at Prevailion.

The research saw references in the code that indicated the threat actors could have Trojanized a version for the major Microsoft file formats, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Publisher.

Based upon exhibited tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs), the researchers have associated it with the “Gorgon Group”. A notorious hacker collective active for numerous years that has been known for cybercrime and intelligence operations.

Hackers need to spend only $160

“The cost for the threat actors to deploy and maintain the campaign was virtually nonexistent,” Prevailion said in the research report. The hackers would need to spend $60 on leasing a Virtual Private Server and $100 Trojan AZORult from Russia-based cyber-crime forums.

The research suggested the cost for earlier attacks could have been cheaper as they used a similar Trojan called Revenge Rat which had been free through Sept. 15.

In other words, the hackers stay under the radar by avoiding popular commodity malware such as Emotet. While using a slightly older Trojan that is still sophisticated enough to evade most security software detection.

Stay safe

We recommend that cryptocurrency investors need to remain particularly vigilant in protecting their personal computer. Having two factor authentication, such as a hardware token is recommended when that option is available.

Adamitis said

Source: CD

Tags: #Cryptocurrency, #Hacker, #Malware

Source: https://xeonbit.com/malware-botnet-attack-on-crypto-wallet/

Lower Rates for Halloween

In meeting of the Bank of Japan (BoJ), bank governor Haruhiko Kuroda and others on the nine-member board urged leaving all options on the table. Where further cuts to the country’s negative interest rate are concerned. The talk of further stimulus reflects an ever-growing trend in the world economy to slash rates and artificially pump new money into markets.

Halloween Surprise

Following the September 19 BoJ meeting, Kuroda commented: “If it’s a question of whether I’m more inclined to go ahead with easing than at the last meeting, yes, that’s right,” confirming the fears of minority dissenters on the board who view the potential October 31 decision as a bad move.

The Bank will purchase Japanese government bonds (JGBs) so that 10-year JGB yields will remain at around zero percent.

Similar Policy

The European Central Bank’s (ECB) refinancing operations rate currently sits at zero. The deposit rate was lowered 10 basis points to an unprecedented low of -0.5% in September. Banks across the Eurozone are struggling to just tread water. Employing unorthodox tactics to soften the blow. Such as encouraging customers to utilize fiduciary call deposits to avoid fees.

Across the Atlantic, things in the U.S. aren’t looking much more promising. After a July 31 cut from 2.50% to 2.25%, the Fed further chainsawed rates to 2%, with U.S.

The BoJ’s talk may sound positive, as political and pseudo-economic feel-good rhetoric always does. However, there are only so many ways to put lipstick on a pig. And sooner or later the aggregate of years of negative and low-rate policy worldwide could come home to roost. As they did back in 2008. Should that occur, having a reserve of decentralised. Permission digital currency will likely come in very handy.

Source: Bitcoin

Tags: #CentralBanks

Source: https://xeonbit.com/lower-rates-for-halloween/

Mysterious Death of Dread

Obtaining reliable information about darknet markets (DNMs) is a constant struggle, given the propensity of news sites and forums to come and go.

Dead Man’s Switch

Dread is dead. The darknet forum where buyers and sellers gathered to exchange links, rate vendors, and discuss opsec has been offline for almost a fortnight. The site didn’t hold cryptocurrency deposits or directly facilitate DNM transactions, but was nevertheless a crucial cog in the darknet economy. The site went offline 10 days ago, prompting speculation as to what may have happened to its pseudonymous admin, Hugbunter. DNM tracker site dark.fail currently displays a warning that reads:

Dread is offline, Hugbunter is missing. Assume Dread and its team are compromised. Rotate all passwords you may have used there immediately. Assume all unencrypted private messages you sent have been compromised. Re-evaluate your OPSEC.

The current homepage of Dread

Users of darknet markets should not be directly affected by Dread’s disappearance, unless they’ve used the same password to access DNMs or sent incriminating private messages on its forum that may now be in the hands of law enforcement or hackers. “HugBunter’s Deadman Has Been Switched” reads the front page of Dread, with the remainder of the site inaccessible.

Dread Is Dead But r/Darknet Lives On

Dread went down on September 20 for maintenance, with Hugbunter promising a “huge update to provide increased stability as the platform grows” including “a variety of bug fixes.” When the site failed to return online, Dread admin “Paris” signed a message to the site which reads: “HugBunter’s deadman has been switched. It has been three full days without any contact … All I can hope is he is alive and well. Not harmed, captured, or dead. However we must assume the worse in this case.”

With Dread seemingly gone for good, Paris has recommended that DNM users congregate on one of the following forums:

Darknet Avengers: http://avengersdutyk3xf.onion

Envoy Forum: http://envoys5appps3bin.onion

The Hub Forum: http://thehub7xbw4dc5r2.onion

For clearnet users, there’s also sub-reddit r/Darknet which, as news.Bitcoin.com recently reported, is going strong with 65,000 users. Previous sub-reddits such as r/Darknetmarkets have been shut down in the past, however, as has DNM site Deepdotweb, highlighting the hazards of disseminating information on drugs which many nations still deem to be illegal.

While powerless to dictate the whims of governments and their censorship-crazy apparatchiks, cryptocurrency users draw solace from the fact that the war on drugs – like the war on all amorphous concepts – is going badly. 50 years of failed policies have shown that criminalization does nothing to diminish the public’s desire to decide what they put into their bodies. On the darknet, business is booming, with DNMs such as Point, Berlusconi, and Empire enabling thousands of users a day to obtain goods and services in exchange for cryptocurrencies such as BTC, ETH, XMR and XNB / XNS. The feds sporadically succeed in downing the occasional site; DNM “Darkmarket” is the latest to go following a raid on a German “cyber bunker” involving 600 armed cops. Despite the loss of Dread and Darkmarket, however, DNMs aren’t just surviving – they’re thriving.

Source: Bitcoin

Tags: #Privacy, #TOR

Source: https://xeonbit.com/mysterious-death-of-dread/

Privacy Threats in Social Networks and Messengers

Preserving your online privacy has become almost a lost cause these days.

Reading the User Agreement

Everyone has multiple online accounts. Most of us are worried about their digital personality being targeted by data collectors and marketing researchers. We are also guilty of compromising our own security as very few people actually read the small print when subscribing to a service.

Analysing the Privacy Policy

The two risks that have been singled out in the report about Reddit concern the possibility of your information being shared with advertisers and the fact that your data may be recorded indefinitely. The forum keeps a complete log of all sent messages even when the accounts are deleted and retains the IP addresses from which they were created.

Telegram, the messenger that enjoys the most popularity with crypto enthusiasts because of its encryption features, has a “good” verdict. Telegram assures users that it never shares personal data with anyone and does not store your secret chats on its servers. Among the popular social networks, Twitter, Instagram and Tumblr have scored poorly in the ratings. There’s also a notable omission – Facebook, despite its own share of cases involving compromised user data.

Privacy in financial transactions is best guaranteed by decentralised currencies and related services.

Tags: #Privacy

Source: https://xeonbit.com/privacy-threats-in-social-networks-and-messengers/