In every professional experience it comes a point when you're willing to transfer and share your knowledge with the next generation. That's what happend to Alessandro Ciofini, italian ICT expert, with the talent of writing. The book "Consigli a un giovane sviluppatore" (Advice to a young developer) published in the second half of 2025, tries to tell his story. With a preface by Denis "Jaromil" Roio, a well-known activist and producer of free software, this is a book that talks about how to find your way in the most varied work environments, but also tells of the values and principles of one of the most creative professions of all. The ones that work on the applications of our phones, our cars, the websites. Ilaria Vanni interviewed Ciofini for The Meta Economist.
Ciofini: A Life at the Intersection of Technology, Art, and Politics
Born in Arezzo in 1971, Alessandro Ciofini grew up as the eldest son in a family with deep rural roots, shaped by post-war transformations that brought his parents into the booming local textile industry. Raised in a Catholic household, he showed an early fascination with design and engineering—passions that would define much of his multifaceted career.
After graduating from the Experimental Technical Institute “G. Galilei” in 1989 with a self-designed remake of the iconic game Simon, Ciofini enrolled in Electronic Engineering at the University of Florence. Though he left just two exams short of completing his degree, his thesis on telecommunications was later published at the VTC-2001 conference in Athens.
Alongside his academic pursuits, Ciofini explored his artistic side. He studied voice and piano privately in Arezzo and Florence and, in 1996, co-founded the Hesperimenta Vocal Ensemble, performing across Europe.
In the 1990s, Ciofini launched his professional journey as an IT consultant, developing some of the first websites for international clients. A lover of strategy and logic, he was also a competitive bridge player, representing his local club in national and international tournaments.
The early 2000s marked the beginning of his entrepreneurial path. He first tackled large-scale European agricultural monitoring projects in central Italy before relocating to Milan in 2006. There, he founded Osteodata, the country’s first integrated management system for osteopathy schools and clinics—possibly a global first at the time.
Balancing demanding roles at leading companies such as Ogilvy, Alkemy, Triboo, and Reply, Ciofini also navigated family life, raising two children during a particularly dynamic phase of his career.
In 2012, his interests expanded into politics. Drawn by values rooted in hacker culture—privacy, digital sovereignty, and freedom of expression—he joined the Italian Pirate Party. In 2019, he organized the 5th European Pirate Party Council Meeting in Milan and was elected to the party’s executive board, where he continues to serve as Treasurer. That same year, he ran as a candidate in the European Parliament elections for the North-West Italy constituency.
A polyglot and lifelong learner, Ciofini married in 2020 following a separation, and he is now expecting his third child with his Siberian-born wife.
Today, he works as a business and innovation consultant, supporting both startups and public institutions. He is preparing to release his first book, Advice to a Young Developer, a heartfelt tribute to the collaborators who have shared his long journey through code, creativity, and community. His debut novel is slated for publication in 2025.
How did you choose your career path?
Did I? Jokes apart, although I am a very straightforward and I like planning, I honestly don’t think we can 100% choose our life path: believe it or not, we can just follow our destiny or fight it. At the beginning, when I was a kid, I got totally fascinated by computers, electronic and all that stuff. That’s why I studied Electronic Engineering in Florence. But then something happened: despite my good results, the other “me” tried to move me away from being an engineer. What I was studying seemed to me so far away from what I desired. So I quitted. I turned into the working times, starting to be a developer. And then I followed the flow, without fighting anymore: this is how I came into many different roles, in my whole career, all related to information technology, from developing software to managing complex systems and being a C-level consultant nowadays. I was lucky to be ready to switch and adapt from one to another, but I have never betrayed my principles: work hard, love my job, be radically honest and trust people. This doesn’t mean everything went always well, but to remind a very important belief, I genuinely think that everything is happening to all of us is not entirely by chance, and more importantly it often comes for the better. This is always how I approached my career: en avant. N’import ou.
Does the role of an IT consultant still exist?
Exist?!? The hell yes, or I would be unemployed! And I will tell you more: nowadays it exists more than ever. Of course, if you have in mind the old fashioned IT consultant that ruled the 70s, well… maybe you’re a bit far away from reality. Many things changed, even dramatically changed I admit, so probably those who haven’t adapted lost their positions, jobs, careers: that’s totally fine. But for all the others, they most flexible ones, well I think these days are the most exciting ever to practice the IT consulting. We are really living a world plenty of opportunities: micro services everywhere, complexity all around the corner and now also artificial intelligence! Can you imagine? From one hand, we are oversimplifying and cutting repetitive and unproductive tasks. From the other one, we need more and more brain forces and out-of-the-box thinking, to be able to accept modern challenges. That’s exactly where the IT consultant role stands today. No matter how big the projects (and so the companies or the stakeholders) are, IT consultancy is still a prominent and key role spread everywhere due the to fact that IT matters are almost in everyday life activities. Of course you have different goals, budgets, ambitions if you’re working in a startup or in a huge corporation and you have to adapt to different organisation, different teams, different way of working. Nonetheless there is an increasing need of people who can see the problem at once (and eventually solve it!). Here it comes the IT consultant.
What is meant by digital rights, and what is happening at the international level? Which country is making the most progress?
When you talk about digital rights you have to refer first of what happened in the last 30 years: the global network made another human revolution. Billions of computers all connected using the same simple protocol, a peer to peer connection where everyone can be connected to everyone else. That’s what internet revolution is all about. In this way, everyone can potentially have access to digitalisation and so the digital world that was emerging from the 80s. World digitalisation couldn’t be so lucky without internet revolution. And here we are then, reflecting on digital rights. You can group them all into a simple sentence: whenever you’re putting aside the individuals from their digital footprint, you’re violating their rights, their digital rights. Some examples? Let’s talk about the right of sharing digital contents: if I buy a book, it’s mine. I can give it to you, so you can also read it. If I buy I e-book, I cannot give it you, you can’t read it: you have to buy it yourself. Or let’s talk about geolocation: internet is a protocol where everyone can be connected to everyone else, do you remember? So why I cannot access to a digital content (let’s say a movie) from France and I can from Italy? Is this something up to Netflix to decide? I paid for one month subscription, why I cannot access to movies from a different country? Let’s talk about communication then: governments from everywhere are repeating the mantra that “for security reasons” they want to have access to all your digital communications, breaking the messaging encryption: do you have an idea of the consequences? The right of having private communication is the ultimate and sole way to guarantee freedom of expression and free thinking: do you want to lose it forever? Long story short, digital rights are now fundamental because we are living in a full scale digital world: digits are the new air. Speaking about the most digital rights oriented countries in world I have to admin that the situation is bad almost everywhere: except some few countries, like Switzerland, Iceland and also Finland maybe; US, UK, EU and basically all the rest of the world is a digitally unfriendly environment. The reason is very simple: nobody wants it, from governments to Big Tech, and nobody thinks its important, except for a niche among citizens (where I stand, by the way).
Are privacy protection and freedom of expression truly guaranteed by Big Tech?
Nothing can be truly guaranteed by Big Tech. It’s always an act of faith. Remember: never trust, always verify. And how can you verify if you have no access to code, neither to servers? In a centralised architecture (i.e. client-server, where we are clients and they have servers), how can any kind of protection be truly guaranteed? Of course not all of them are practicing the same policies, true. But at the very end, even if sometimes they oppose to reveals personal data to governments, they have those data and they can always access them. Everywhere, every time. So in such a way they are defending people from governative authorities, because they still need user’s trust. On the other hand, they cannot prevent to be invasive with user’s data, because they need them. Unless we collectively switch to a full decentralised, open source and end-to-end encrypted model, we will never be free and guaranteed, in terms of digital rights. You may object that at the end the global network is not in people’s hands, so if we go to a lower layer we will never be really free. True, but at least let’s make it more difficult for them all that what it is right now: shutting down internet wouldn’t be a great deal for anyone, I guess.
How do you interpret the endorsement of Big Tech leaders for the Trump administration?
Well, as far as I remember they were endorsing Biden administration no more than five years ago, so there is only one reasonable interpretation in my honest and humble opinion: they simply go with the flow. They go with the power because they go with the money. Big Tech’s primary goal is to make money, the more the better. Without judging, if you follow this principle you don’t almost really care about who is in charge, democrats or republicans. You need to stay in a relevant and dominant position, you need to remain a great lobbyist or you will fail your main goal. I find this very transparent and this transparency makes it acceptable, at the end of the day. I personally dislike more those you would like to appear true believers with rock solid ethical principles and they completely act in a different way, in the shadow. If the question then is moving forward to estimate the actual return, in terms of profits, by endorsing Trump administration I think that all of them will benefit for sure, but probably not in the same way. Even if everyone in GAFAM is not just a corporate but an ecosystem (with a GDP of a real country), I think that Amazon could lead the advantages, compared to Google and Microsoft. Not to mention the “outsider” Musk, for obvious reasons.
Speaking of digital rights, is Europe really ahead after the AI Act?
With pleasure I see we are entering more and more in the techno-politics area, where I love to be involved. So, speaking of digital rights, I don’t think European Union is really ahead after the so called “AI Act”. In the tentative to regulate the complex and vast area of uncertainty around all artificial intelligence to protect citizens, what really happened it that the EU over regulated critical aspects of free market and companies, while under regulated government’s behaviour and possible abuses from police. First and foremost, there are exceptions for biometric and facial recognition and the massive use of AI for “security reasons” for member states, that will transform the EU in a wide scale mass surveillance continent. Public spaces should be free of mass surveillance systems or citizens everyday life will be at stake. There is also another critical issue about police predictive systems, that could dramatically impact people’s freedom of expression, movements, enforcing society polarisation and biases. Last but not least, there are also several concerns about privacy and anonymity, speaking about the huge amount of personal data requested for high risk services: remember that without anonymity, there will be no freedom. So, what’s left? Well quite a lot of limitations for companies, quite a few for governments. Basically the result will be that digital rights will be violated anyway and Europeans will be stuck on innovations, with US and China (and maybe also Russia) always ahead: instead of concentrating all efforts in protocols and fostering collaboration, so that this emerging technology could be in everyone’s hands, European Union decided to remain out of the new Era, leaving its citizens to follow extra EU company’s AI solutions and proposals. To summarise, in my opinion AI Act is a lost chance (remember that no law is always better than a bad law).
What does artificial intelligence mean today when applied transversally to the world of work?
Well, for sure artificial intelligence is quickly replacing the old search engines, for everyone in everyday life. This means basically that instead of typing in a search engine input box we ask the AI and it’s up to the AI to do the dirty job for us and more importantly also to choose for us what is relevant and what is not. Of course we also have specific fields where artificial intelligence is more prominent and apart from suggesting it can do some tasks autonomously (the emerging world of AI-agents). But if we restrict the field of our speculation to the latest category, it won’t last long: the truth is that nowadays for all critical issues and for many not critical ones, human intervention is not only highly recommended but also mandatory. Or at least it should be, in my opinion: let’s think for a while about medical diagnosis, trials and generally speaking all human’s interactions where life or any kind of environment is at stake. Why should we? Let’s remind that first of all AIs can allucinate (and they do allucinate). Secondly but nonetheless still important, AIs are biased and because we don’t know actually which prompt they have in place, LLM’s algorithm are not transparent (e.i. they are not fully open source) and they cannot be verified, you can never trust 100% any AI. Then we have a third pillar to reflect on: whenever you create a new attitude, you become a new man. This is valid also whenever you lose it: we are all prone to avoid boring and repetitive tasks and we are all very happy to leave them to the AI, aren’t we? But applying this transversally everywhere, especially to the working places, could lead to a dangerous human laziness: brain laziness. Once your brain is not used for its primary purpose (i.e. thinking), well you could face terrible consequences in the long run. We are humans, we are problem solvers, since the first day we came on planet Earth. We should continue, no matter what.
Where do you stand in the debate on ethical issues related to AI?
I stand on human side. Always. Now the thing is: which side is it, the human side? Well, for me it’s the one with principles. The crucial part of all human beings is related to principles and values: we built entire societies and communities on them. We cannot withdraw or we won’t be human anymore. So now the questions is: how can we handle this emerging technology that we, the humans, discovered in order to take full advantage of it but without losing our core values? This is the challenge now we have to deal with. It’s not a question of losing jobs or not, it’s more how to prevent that we can continue to evolve without losing our identity. Maybe it won’t be possible and at a certain point we will have to take drastic decisions. More likely, we will create an new hybrid way to carry on our knowledge, something that hasn’t existed before and it won’t exist in the future. Even if I’m not a luddite, I think that the use of AI should be regulated, especially in the public sector. But even if we will try to regulate it, it won’t be enough: we need to create an ethic AI by design. That’s the only solution with a valuable future. Unfortunately in this field big corporations have an enormous advantage but again, open source and decentralised AI would represent a way out to all the trojans that AI is injecting nowadays in everyone’s life. It’s a huge topic anyway, that would be great to discuss in a dedicated sessions. What I always repeat, the most important thing is to remain in control: let’s be as light as a feather, not as a bird.
Ilaria Vanni is a TV journalist for italian broadcasting and coordinator of The Meta Economist portal. She has a philosphy degree and she's now studing the economic and technological issues connected to the new frontiers of the metaverse.
If Bitcoin has been riding a wave of optimism linked to Donald Trump's potential political comeback, now that Tycoon has been elected as the 47th president of the United States, we can say Bitcoin has literally hit a record of $75,000. This suggests a significant surge in market sentiment, likely fueled by speculation that a Trump victory could lead to more favorable conditions for cryptocurrencies.
Call it or not a Trump effect, after having recorded its all-time high, breaking through the wall of 75 thousand dollars, Bitcoin is gaining almost 8% in these hours. Ether is also making the same gains, trading around $2,619. "A rally that is not surprising given the position clearly in favor of Trump, who, in addition to having launched a new cryptocurrency platform "The DeFiant Ones" (a name that plays on the concept of decentralized finance) last August, owns, according to The Verge, 1 and $5 million in a virtual ethereum key" says Massimiliano Carrà on Forbes Italy.
Trump has historically been perceived more crypto-friendly, especially when compared to other political figures who have proposed stricter regulations on the industry. In his latest administration he generally took a hands-off approach to cryptocurrencies, which many in the crypto community appreciated as it allowed the space to develop with relatively fewer governmental restrictions.
During his first presidential campaign, the cryptocurrency ecosystem saw significant growth, likely due to the promise of deregulation and more market freedom. So the question is how far the crypto market will go, today on? If traders are anticipating these factors aligning favorably with Trump's policies, it could further boost their enthusiasm for Bitcoin as a store of value or hedge.
Highlighting some points about the relationship between Trump's re-election and cryptocurrencies environment here's a list of the factors involved in this potential diverse outcome of the market, that will maybe lead to a new balance between old and new economy, as we usually say here at The Meta Economist.
Let's unpack a few key themes and examine how they could impact Bitcoin and the broader cryptocurrency market:
In summary, while a Trump administration might boost Bitcoin and create short-term optimism, the crypto market’s long-term prospects will likely depend on broader regulatory trends, global economic factors, and how effectively crypto assets continue to establish themselves as hedges or alternatives to traditional investments. Would you like to delve further into any specific aspect, like historical price patterns in crypto during different administrations, or explore how institutional players might react?
SOURCE: The Guardian, Forbes
READ ALSO ---> "Is Disney back in the metaverse?" by Ilaria Vanni
Ilaria Vanni is a TV journalist for italian broadcasting and coordinator of The Meta Economist portal. She has a philosphy degree and she's now studing the economic and technological issues connected to the new frontiers of the metaverse.
The new Apple smartphone – just presented at the Steve Jobs Theater in Cupertino during Apple’s “It’s Glowtime” event – is the first to be designed to integrate Apple Intelligence, the AI system already known since the WWDC 2024 developers convention in June.
As we can read in the official press communication released by the company last June, “Apple Intelligence is the personal intelligence system that puts powerful generative models at the heart of iPhone, iPad, and Mac setting a new standard for privacy in AI. Apple Intelligence understands personal context to deliver actionable, relevant intelligence”.
Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO, introduced it like this: «iPhone 16 raises the bar for what an iPhone can do».Four models presented – iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max, in which we will find the new A18 chip, designed to work in synergy with artificial intelligence: an iPhone like never seen before.
Using this iPhone will be a complete new experience, base on a rational model that is trained to use language in a human pattern. For example we will see a summary preview of an email, we could match photos and notes, search for a picture in the gallery writing a sentence or cleaning up an unwanted photo background.
What will all these new iPhone functions have to real with the new economy? Our workflow and work days will clearly change and we bet on the face that AI will be less week as a monster capable of stealing job opportunities. Instead, AI will create new ones, as technologies always did in history
SOURCE: Apple
READ ALSO ---> "Is Disney back in the metaverse?" by Ilaria Vanni
Ilaria Vanni is a TV journalist for italian broadcasting and coordinator of The Meta Economist portal. She has a philosphy degree and she's now studing the economic and technological issues connected to the new frontiers of the metaverse.
After the 6 hours down occurred last week and the achievement of more than one billion total transactions couple of days ago, popular blockchain The Open Network (TON), linked to Telegram, is getting a good performance, with a growth of over 7%.
The transaction's increase, according to data from the analysis platform TON Scan, exceeded 1.04 billion, half of which occurred in the last three months alone. The rapid increase in the number of transactions indicates the growing commitment of the TON platform, supported by integration with Telegram's billion global users. The continued growth of the TON blockchain can largely be attributed to recent developments, including the introduction of the W5 smart wallet standard.
Over the past week, TON ecosystem has faced a series of setbacks amid a wave of unfavorable news. The turbulence began with the arrest of Telegram founder Pavel Durov, followed by two significant blockchain network outages that halted block production. In total, in just 68 days, the top ten coins within the TON ecosystem have collectively lost $5.13 billion in value.
Today arrived a message from Pavel Durov arrives, after several days during which, for obvious and well-known reasons, communications had ceased, and $TON confirms his desire to roar again. +7% in the last 24 hours, in the face of a crypto market that continues to suffer and move sideways before today's unemployment data, at 2.30pm. A situation which, however, began to develop as early as Thursday afternoon and which confirms that in reality there is something else that is moving on the $TON network and which is helping its recovery. There is an airdrop coming in addition to that of Hamster Kombat, and it will be that of Catizen, another game with a large following among those that have been popular on Telegram.
SOURCE: Coindesk, Criptovaluta.it
READ ALSO ---> "Is Disney back in the metaverse?" by Ilaria Vanni
Ilaria Vanni is a TV journalist for italian broadcasting and coordinator of The Meta Economist portal. She has a philosphy degree and she's now studing the economic and technological issues connected to the new frontiers of the metaverse.
MILAN - The Meta Economist just met an emerging talent in the crypto economy. Her name's is Paola Angioni and she has a long experience as financial advisor. She's based in Milan but she works worldwide. Her main focus is about a topic we already treat but needed to be analyze properly. Together with Angioni in fact, we talked about crypto mining, the process by which new cryptocurrency coins or tokens are created and transactions involving existing coins are verified and added to the blockchain ledger. What Paola is developing involves mining in a completely new paradigma.
Here she presents Life Miner project in Paraguay, which demonstrates that the use of renewable hydroelectric energy in crypto mining can enhance efficiency and ecological responsibility in the sector. Hydroelectric power, a renewable and low-carbon energy source, provides a reliable and sustainable energy supply for mining operations. This transition reduces the reliance on fossil fuels, thereby lowering greenhouse gas emissions and minimizing the environmental footprint of mining activities. We met Paola in Milan and she's super focused on the Paraguay adventure.
Can you introduce yourself to our readers and tell us about your professional background as an international financial advisor and tell us why you chose to focus on Bitcoin mining instead of cryptocurrency trading?
I am an international financial consultant with over 15 years of experience in the sector. Over the years, I have had the opportunity to work with various institutions and private clients, supporting them to achieve their financial goals through personalized investment strategies.
Bitcoin mining represents a fundamental aspect of the cryptocurrency ecosystem, being the process that guarantees the security and validity of transactions. This gives me a sense of active and concrete participation in building and maintaining a decentralized network.
Furthermore, mining offers stability that trading often cannot guarantee because it is subject to market volatility. While trading can be highly volatile and requires constant attention to market movements, mining allows you to have a predictable and constant income stream from the work of producing Bitcoin. This does not mean that mining is without risks or challenges, but I find that the long-term approach and the opportunity to use advanced and sustainable technologies, such as those offered by stable and long-lasting projects such as Life Miner, a physical company that operates in Paraguay, offer greater stability.
What is your point of view in the comparison between old and new finance? Traditional finance relies on centralized institutions and stringent regulations, offering security but limiting innovation. Digital finance, on the other hand, promotes decentralization and global accessibility, with tools such as cryptocurrencies breaking down traditional barriers. Currently, in my role as an international financial advisor and dealing with Bitcoin mining, I see enormous potential in digital finance to democratize access to investments, making them more inclusive and dynamic. Furthermore, the new finance is accessible to everyone, allowing you to start with very low amounts. However, the quality of information and the support of specialized operators are crucial to protect yourself from risks and fully exploit the opportunities offered. This evolution not only transforms the financial landscape, but also opens up new opportunities for a more equitable and innovative future.
What is in a few words Bitcoin mining and what role does it play in the cryptocurrency ecosystem?
Bitcoin mining is the process by which new units of the cryptocurrency are generated and released into the network. Miners use specialized hardware to solve complex mathematical problems, which allows new blocks to be added to the Bitcoin blockchain. This process is essential for the security and decentralization of the network, as it makes it difficult for any single actor to manipulate transactions or compromise the integrity of the blockchain.
Here's a video showing Life Miner project development:
What are the main economic benefits associated with Bitcoin mining and how can they be exploited by investors? The main economic benefits of Bitcoin mining include the possibility of obtaining new coins as a reward for the work of validating transactions and the potential increase in the value of Bitcoin itself over time. Investors can benefit from mining through investing in high-quality hardware, joining mining pools to stabilize earnings, and implementing strategies to reduce operating costs, such as using renewable energy sources.
What are the main environmental challenges related to Bitcoin mining and how can they be addressed effectively, especially in a context like that of Paraguay? The environmental challenges related to Bitcoin mining include high energy consumption and carbon emissions. In Paraguay, these challenges can be effectively addressed thanks to the availability of hydroelectric energy, which is a renewable energy source with low environmental impact. Using hydroelectric power significantly reduces the carbon footprint of mining, making operations more sustainable.
How are emerging technologies transforming the Bitcoin mining industry, making it more efficient and sustainable?
Emerging technologies are transforming Bitcoin mining through the introduction of more advanced hardware, such as next-generation ASIC chips, which are more energy efficient. Furthermore, the adoption of innovative cooling solutions and the use of artificial intelligence to optimize mining operations are helping to reduce the environmental impact and increase the sustainability of the sector.
What are the key differences between Bitcoin production and distribution, and why is it important to focus on production?
Bitcoin production, or mining, is about creating new coins and validating transactions, ensuring the security and integrity of the network. Bitcoin distribution, on the other hand, refers to the exchange and circulation of existing coins among users. Focusing on production is crucial because it keeps the network secure and decentralized, while distribution relies on a stable and secure network to function effectively.
Which strategies can Bitcoin miners adopt to ensure maximum transparency and security in their operations? To ensure transparency and security, Bitcoin miners can adopt different strategies, such as the use of blockchain technologies that make every transaction traceable and verifiable. Furthermore, participating in reliable mining pools and adopting advanced security measures, such as the use of firewalls, data encryption and continuous monitoring of mining activities, are crucial. Transparency can be further improved through regular audits and the publication of operational reports.
How can entrepreneurs and investors contribute to and benefit from the Bitcoin mining industry in a long-term perspective?
Entrepreneurs and investors can contribute to the Bitcoin mining industry by investing in innovative and sustainable technologies, creating efficient infrastructure, and collaborating with other companies to develop renewable energy solutions. In the long term, they can benefit through participation in projects that aim to reduce operational costs and increase profitability, as well as by diversifying their investments in the cryptocurrency sector to mitigate risks.
What future development opportunities do you see in the Bitcoin mining sector and how can investors prepare to seize them?
Future development opportunities in Bitcoin mining include adopting more efficient and sustainable technologies, expanding into new regions with access to renewable energy sources, and improving cooling techniques to reduce operating costs. Investors can prepare for these opportunities by staying current on technological innovations, investing in research and development projects, and partnering with industry leaders to leverage synergies and optimize operations.
How does the Life Miner project in Paraguay manage to combine the efficiency of Bitcoin mining with a sustainable approach and what are its advantages compared to other operators in the sector?
Life Miner chose Paraguay for its Bitcoin mining operations due to the availability of renewable hydroelectric energy, which significantly reduces the carbon footprint. By using clean energy and implementing advanced energy efficiency technologies, Life Miner manages to combine efficient mining with a sustainable approach. This approach not only reduces operating costs, but also makes Life Miner an industry leader in sustainability, offering competitive advantages over other operators using more polluting energy sources.
Ilaria Vanni is a TV journalist for italian broadcasting and coordinator of The Meta Economist portal. She has a philosphy degree and she's now studing the economic and technological issues connected to the new frontiers of the metaverse.
There is a new way to bridge the difference between fiat money and cryptocurrencies. Transak, a Web3 payments provider, has made an agreement with blockchain development platform Cometh to introduce a simplified fiat money to Layer three (L3) onboarding solution. This new system supposedly makes it easier to purchase crypto assets directly on Cometh's L3 blockchain, Arbitrum Orbit.
According to the company's announcement, the integration allows users to purchase ethereum (ETH) on Muster, Cometh's Arbitrum Orbit platform, without having to manage crypto tokens and gas tokens.
By automating interactions directly via Transak One and Cometh's Web3 development platform smart contracts, the solution eliminates the need for intermediate steps such as token bridging, significantly reducing transaction times.
Before this system, users needed to create a multi-step process involving purchases on a Layer 2 solution and subsequent bridging on Muster. A complicated and time-consuming model. "Transak says users can now directly purchase cryptocurrencies using credit cards on Muster, making entry into non-fungible token (NFT) markets and other blockchain interactions much faster" - Bitcoin.com reported.
According to Steven Goldfeder, co-founder and CEO of Arbitrum development company Offchain Labs, the collaboration “simplifies the user experience, unlocks the potential for mainstream adoption, and showcases the power of building innovative solutions on Arbitrum’s scalable infrastructure".
SOURCE: Bitcoin.com
Ilaria Vanni is a TV journalist for italian broadcasting and coordinator of The Meta Economist portal. She has a philosphy degree and she's now studing the economic and technological issues connected to the new frontiers of the metaverse.
The Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority has told local farmers that their farms cannot be used as a site for crypto-mining. The Abu Dhabi Agriculture Authority has issued a notice banning cryptocurrency mining on farms. The UAE government body stated that this activity is considered "an improper use of the farm for purposes other than those intended." Furthermore, anyone caught violating this law would face fines of up to 10,000 dirhams, equivalent to approximately $2,700.
Cryptocurrency mining is a process that enables users to earn crypto-assets by confirming transactions on blockchain networks that use a Proof-of-Work (PoW) consensus mechanism. In this system, miners compete to solve extremely complex mathematical puzzles, a process that requires substantial computational power and energy. These puzzles are integral to validating and securing transactions on the network. Once a miner successfully solves a puzzle, they add a new block to the blockchain and are rewarded with a specific amount of newly minted cryptocurrency. This reward incentivizes miners to continue contributing their computational resources to maintain the network’s security and integrity.
Although cryptocurrency mining is prohibited on farms, the UAE is generally a crypto-mining friendly jurisdiction. In fact, data from 2023 shows that the UAE's Bitcoin mining capacity was approximately 400 megawatts, which accounted for about 4% of the global hash rate. This indicates a significant presence in the global cryptocurrency mining industry, reflecting the UAE's supportive stance towards this activity.
The technological acceleration of this historical moment has a pervasive socio-economic impact and is changing technological and cultural paradigms, involving the production system in all its forms. Those who produce, those who transform, those who distribute, those who sell and those who consume are increasingly brought together thanks to the infosphere.
Agriculture and technology, two apparently distant worlds, are in reality profoundly interconnected.
Complex technology such as blockchain can have various areas of application in the agrifood world:
SOURCE: CoinDesk
Ilaria Vanni is a TV journalist for italian broadcasting and coordinator of The Meta Economist portal. She has a philosphy degree and she's now studing the economic and technological issues connected to the new frontiers of the metaverse.
As in many economic fields, also in the ecology blockchain aims to create transparent and traceable operations. Blockchain can be used to track and verify transactions, without the need for a centralized intermediary. This makes it particularly suitable for solar energy, which is produced in a decentralized way by solar panels installed on the roofs and land of private citizens. Many experiments in the world want to prove that energetic communities can be an everyday reality. Maybe with blockchain everything can be simplify.
Solar energy with photovoltaic (PV) converts sunlight directly into electricity, while solar thermal uses sunlight for heating purposes. Both forms have their unique advantages and applications and provide future society with clean energy sources.
"Blockchain technology - reported Gree.org - is a decentralized and transparent digital ledger. It uses cryptographic algorithms and consensus mechanisms to verify and record transactions. Smart contracts, enable automated and self-executing agreements without the need for intermediaries.
Indeed, one of the main advantages of blockchain for solar energy is the possibility of creating a peer-to-peer market for energy exchange between producers and consumers. Currently, solar energy produced by photovoltaic panels is sold to the electricity grid at fixed prices, which often do not reflect the real value of the energy based on supply and demand.
Blockchain technology offers many advantages in the solar energy sector by improving transparency, efficiency, and security of energy transactions. Here is a detailed analysis of how this technology can be applied:
In summary, implementing blockchain in the solar energy sector not only improves the traceability and reliability of energy but also promotes the automation and security of energy transactions, contributing to a more sustainable and robust energy market.
Green.org underlines some case study in real world, witnessing several examples which demonstrate the successful integration of solar energy and blockchain technology. One example is the Brooklyn Microgrid project in New York. This project utilizes blockchain to enable peer-to-peer energy trading among residents, creating a self-sufficient and sustainable community.
Another example is the Energo project in Thailand. It combines blockchain technology with solar energy to provide affordable and reliable electricity to rural communities. This initiative empowers local residents and reduces energy poverty through decentralized energy generation and distribution.
SOURCE: Green.org
READ ALSO ---> "Is Disney back in the metaverse?" by Ilaria Vanni
Ilaria Vanni is a TV journalist for italian broadcasting and coordinator of The Meta Economist portal. She has a philosphy degree and she's now studing the economic and technological issues connected to the new frontiers of the metaverse.
Address poisoning is a type of attack aimed at holders of cryptocurrencies. It's a kind of attack where someone watches a blockchain for transactions, then sends a small amount of crypto to an address that looks very similar to the original one.
Address poisoning can indeed be a significant concern in the crypto space. It's a form of phishing attack where attackers try to trick users into sending funds to a fraudulent address by creating one that looks very similar to a legitimate one. This is often done by making slight modifications to the characters or using visually similar characters.
For example, they might change a lowercase "L" to an uppercase "i" or add an extra character that's hard to notice at a glance. Unsuspecting users might not notice the difference and end up sending their funds to the attacker's address instead of the intended recipient.
To mitigate the risk of falling victim to address poisoning, users should always double-check the addresses they are sending funds to, preferably by using copy-and-paste rather than typing them manually. Additionally, using hardware wallets or wallets with built-in address verification mechanisms can provide an extra layer of security. It's also essential for crypto users to stay informed about common phishing tactics and remain vigilant when conducting transactions.
Address poisoning is quite a tricky issue in the crypto space. This attack involves the creation of a crypto address that looks like the original one by attackers, with the aim of deceiving the owner of the original address, inducing him to make a transaction to the wrong address.
Address poisoning takes advantage of the fact that many cryptocurrency transactions and wallets have long strings of characters that are difficult to verify at a glance.
In fact, attackers changes only a few characters in the middle. The goal is to deceive the user, pushing him to send funds to the wrong address during copy and paste.
To protect your wallet from Address Poisoning there are several good practices to follow:
Final Considerations
By taking proactive measures to protect your transactions and informing yourself in advance about potential risks, you can significantly reduce the risk of falling victim to such attacks. By adopting these proactive measures and staying vigilant, individuals can better safeguard their crypto transactions against address poisoning and other malicious activities.
READ ALSO ---> "Is Disney back in the metaverse?" by Ilaria Vanni
Ilaria Vanni is a TV journalist for italian broadcasting and coordinator of The Meta Economist portal. She has a philosphy degree and she's now studing the economic and technological issues connected to the new frontiers of the metaverse.
