verification

Who paid for Twitter Blue verification? Here’s how to find out

Under the direction of Elon Musk, Twitter rolled out the “Twitter Blue” subscription to discourage spam bots and fake accounts on the platform.

With Twitter allowing users to verify their accounts for a monthly fee, the number of accounts with a blue checkmark — previously associated with prominent figures — has flooded the social media platform. A browser extension available for Chrome, Firefox and Safari aims to bring back the balance by revealing the accounts that have paid $8 for subscribing to Twitter Blue.

Under the direction of Elon Musk, Twitter rolled out the “Twitter Blue” subscription to discourage spam bots and fake accounts on the platform. However, when the service was initially launched in November 2022, trolls took it as an opportunity to verify parody accounts and propagate fake information.

While a subsequent Know Your Customer requirement stifled the account verification of suspicious accounts, the number of verified accounts on Twitter skyrocketed, reintroducing user doubt. A browser extension named “Eight Dollars” allows users to spot the difference between actual verified accounts and Twitter Blue users.

The extension shows how each account gained its verification badge. For users that paid for the Twitter Blue subscription, the extension will display a “paid” text right next to the blue checkmark. For the rest, it will simply show “verified.“

The Eight Dollars extension shows a fake verified account impersonating Elon Musk. Source: Eight Dollars 

The above screenshot shows an example of how an account parodying Elon Musk paid for verification. As a result, the extension helps identify scam accounts.

Public reviews of people using the Eight Dollars extension. Source: chrome.google.com

Moreover, Twitter users supported the software extension as it effectively reinstates transparency across the social media platform, as evidenced by the screenshot of the reviews above.

Related: ‘CryptoGPT’ Twitter accounts spring up as hashtag trends on Twitter

Meanwhile, Musk, and more than 2,600 tech industry leaders and researchers signed an open letter calling for a halt to artificial intelligence development.

The letter split opinions, with many notable entrepreneurs opposing it.

Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong believes that every technology poses a certain amount of danger, and the goal should be to keep moving forward.

Magazine: Simon Dixon on bankruptcies, Celsius and Elon Musk: Crypto Twitter Hall of Flame

Zero-knowledge proofs coming to Bitcoin, overhauling network state validation

Zero-knowledge proofs have powered the development of Ethereum layer 2s, and now they’re coming to Bitcoin.

Bitcoin (BTC) users will soon be able to use zero-knowledge proofs (ZK-proofs) to expedite the process of verifying individual blocks and, eventually, the entire blockchain. 

ZeroSync Association, a Swiss-based nonprofit, is developing tooling which allows users to validate the state of the Bitcoin network without having to download the blockchain or trust a third party for verification.

ZeroSync was formed to develop and maintain open-source software that enables succinct ZK-proofs on the Bitcoin blockchain. The group uses StarkWare’s proprietary Zero-Knowledge Scalable Transparent Argument of Knowledge (zk-STARK) validity proofs to generate ZK-proofs for the Bitcoin network.

The tool promises to overhaul the process of verifying the Bitcoin blockchain, which still requires node operators to download a large amount of data to synchronize the correct state of the Bitcoin network.

ZeroSync is using ZK-proofs to eventually generate valid proof and verify the latest state of the blockchain almost instantaneously.

ZK-proofs have been a revelation for the Ethereum ecosystem, with various proof methods powering several layer-2 scaling platforms, including Polygon, Arbitrum, Optimism and StarkNet.

Related: Polygon’s ‘holy grail’ Ethereum-scaling zkEVM beta hits mainnet

An announcement from the ZeroSync Association highlights the promise of ZK-proofs for blockchain scalability and privacy by providing “almost-fixed-size” proofs verifying large computations.

The project’s work pioneers the application of ZK-proofs for the Bitcoin network, with the organization describes Bitcoin’s relative simplicity and the Unspent Transaction Output (UTXO) model as a unique value proposition for applying recursive proofs.

ZeroSync notes that the ZK-Proof tools do not require consensus changes or additional trust assumptions for the Bitcoin network and its users. The organization is building a software development kit that will allow developers to generate custom validity proof for specific use cases without needing indepth domain expertise.

ZeroSync is in the process of building a client for fast initial block download as well as implementing the first complete proof of Bitcoin consensus. The client will allow users to sync a full node without making code changes to Bitcoin core.

ZeroSync is using the Cairo programming language, pioneered by StarkWare, to create STARK-provable programs for computations.

ZeroSync’s tool is currently in a prototype state but has the ability to prove the validity of individual assumed valid blocks, which verify all Bitcoin rules except for scripts. The team also has a working in-browser demo verifier for STARK proofs of Bitcoin blocks.

The ZeroSync Association was initially funded by Geometry and StarkWare but is establishing a nonprofit entity to enable ongoing development and maintenance from stakeholders within the Bitcoin community.

A statement from StarkWare president and co-founder Eli Ben-Sasson, who co-invented zk-STARKS, summed up the magnitude of ZK-proofs coming to the Bitcoin ecosystem:

“After years of frustration about slow syncing, users will be able to sync with the network much faster, and with less computation. It’s a technological leap akin to the transition from slow dial-up internet to high-speed broadband.”

Lightning Labs, the team behind the Bitcoin layer-2 Lightning Network payment system, is a contributing partner to ZeroSync’s project.

The firm intends to use ZeroSync to power compressed transaction history proofs for its Taproot Asset Representation Overlay (Taro) protocol, which aims to power the issuance of digital assets on the Bitcoin blockchain.

Enhanced KYC checks can be a win-win for crypto exchanges and consumers — here’s why

Adopting more stringent Know Your Customer (KYC) checks can give crypto exchanges a competitive edge over those that meet minimal standards.

Trulioo

Crypto is a fast-moving sector where new trends — decentralized finance and nonfungible tokens among them — accelerate in the blink of an eye. And as demand for digital assets grows, the need for regulation grows too. 

Anticipating those regulations and having the systems in place for future compliance can position crypto exchanges as industry leaders. Those that do the bare minimum risk falling behind as customers turn to more trusted options.

Exchanges, though, can adopt a substantial role in setting the regulatory tone by taking the initiative to go beyond compliance and better protect their users. That can help a business build a reputation for security and deliver a compelling point of difference from the competition. More than that, it can show regulators how policies can work in practice.

The business case

Prioritizing adaptable, futureproof solutions can make it easier for exchanges to expand quickly into new markets. It can help them control operating costs, reduce risks and enhance the customer experience.

Beyond helping crypto exchanges achieve compliance, identity verification technology that draws from hundreds of global data sources can accelerate onboarding, offering the right balance between security and friction. Onboarding customers quickly and safely can give exchanges the competitive edge they need in a market that gets more crowded with every crypto bull run.

Trulioo, an identity verification service that enables exchanges worldwide to quickly and securely onboard customers, is helping crypto platforms achieve their full potential in a constantly shifting market.

Fast, accurate digital identity verification can help exchanges build trust and safety while quickly expanding their customer base, the company says. Enhanced Know Your Customer (KYC) checks can help exchanges scale more quickly. By knowing exactly who their customers are and establishing the provenance of funds, exchanges can position themselves to adapt to future regulation changes.

“Regulation is a hot topic in the crypto space and one of the reasons we’re seeing so many crypto exchanges looking to partner with us,” Trulioo CEO Steve Munford told Cointelegraph. “Working with a platform such as Trulioo can help exchanges stay ahead of the curve and remain compliant while preparing for tighter regulations that might be on the horizon.”

How does enhanced KYC work? 

Conventional KYC measures can limit the number of people an exchange can verify, especially if it requires a passport, driver’s license or bank account. By contrast, Trulioo offers validation in more than 195 countries and against more than 400 reliable data sources — including mobile networks, credit bureaus, banks, governments and business registers. It’s also possible to authenticate new users with the help of a selfie.

Trulioo recently acquired the no-code orchestration solution HelloFlow to accelerate digital onboarding and unveiled major product updates that include document-free proof of address verification. In another significant development, company executives said they achieved unicorn status after a $394 million Series D funding round.

Trulioo wants to help exchanges navigate the choppy waters of regulation now and in the future with fast, secure and accurate KYC and Anti-Money Laundering crypto checks.

That approach can help crypto businesses bolster their infrastructure to ensure they’re ready when the next bull run brings a new wave of customers to exchanges.

Learn more about Trulioo

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