Jaxx Adds the Edgeless Token to the Jaxx Ecosystem

30 Days of Jaxx, Day 10 – Jaxx Adds the Edgeless Token to the Jaxx Ecosystem

11th September 2017 – Toronto

Today Jaxx announces support for the Edgeless Casino token inside the Jaxx wallet.

Edgeless.io is the first Ethereum-based casino. Edgeless levers blockchain technology to offer players a completely transparent and 0% edge gambling experience. In the past online casinos have taken advantage of their house edge at the expense of participants. Now, on Edgeless, players are able to verify and view the Ethereum smart contract and thus be sure of the house edge: 0%. Ignas Mangevicius, Edgeless Co-Founder said, “Our casino solves the two greatest challenges to online casinos – price and transparency. We’ve built Edgeless to be fun & fair.”

Anthony Di Iorio, CEO of Jaxx, says “Traditional online casinos have the capacity to cheat their users without being spotted. Edgeless is using decentralized technology to eliminate that possibility and make a transparent gaming environment. We’re happy to support the token tied to their project, EDG, in Jaxx.”

About Edgeless:
The Edgeless team has been working since 2016 to create the first fully transparent casino in the world. The Edgeless ICO completed in March 2017 and the team has delivered their first milestone, the beta version of their Blackjack game. See www.edgeless.io for more information.

About Jaxx:
Jaxx is a multi-token blockchain wallet that provides a unified experience across 8 platforms and devices, including Windows, Apple and Linux desktops, Apple and Android mobile devices and tablets, as well as a Google Chrome extension. The Jaxx wallet enables crypto-to-crypto exchange with frictionless in-wallet conversion via Shapeshift. Users are always in control of their keys and Jaxx neither holds nor has access to customer funds. Design and user experience driven, and built with simplicity in mind, Jaxx’s mission is to become the interface to the blockchain world. Jaxx was founded by CEO Anthony Di Iorio and is headquartered in Toronto.

Press Release – Anthony Di Iorio Invests in Enigma

Toronto, Ontario – 11th September 2017.

Anthony Di Iorio Engages with Enigma as an Investor

Enigma is creating a decentralized, open, secure data marketplace that allows people, companies and organizations to contribute and consume data. Anthony Di Iorio is co-founder of Ethereum & the CEO of the Jaxx blockchain interface.

Speaking about Anthony Di Iorio, Can Kisagun, co-founder said,

As we embark on this ambitious journey to create the data marketplace for the web, we are thrilled to be partnering with Anthony Di Iorio from Jaxx | Decentral. Given its simplicity and ease of use, Jaxx will be instrumental in getting ENG tokens to the masses.

Speaking about Enigma, Anthony Di Iorio said,

The market surrounding crypto-assets is expanding and so should the investment tools and underlying financial infrastructure. The Catalyst Platform is well timed – it’s a platform that provides the tools and data necessary to quickly build your own crypto hedge-fund. Catalyst is the first application to make use of the Enigma decentralized data marketplace protocol.

I’m excited to make this investment & to join Enigma group contributing to the project – the work to enable developers to build, test, and execute micro crypto-funds is particularly exciting as it pushes the decentral economy forward. I am looking forward to exploring potential synergies between Enigma and Jaxx –  Guy, Can, & their team at Enigma have my support!

The key new utility Enigma brings to the table is the ability to run computations on data, without having access to the raw data itself. For example, a group of people can provide access to their salary, and together compute the average wage of the group. Each participant learns their relative position in the group, but learns nothing about other members’ salaries. It should be made clear that this is only a motivating example. In practice, any program can be securely evaluated while maintaining the inputs a secret.

Today, sharing data is an irreversible process; once it is sent, there is no way to take it back or limit how it is used. Allowing access to data for secure computations is reversible and controllable, since no one but the original data owners ever see the raw data. This presents a fundamental change in current approaches to data analysis.

Those interested in reading more about Enigma & Catalyst can visit their website at www.enigma.co

For more information on Anthony Di Iorio reach out to him on LinkedIn or Twitter

Jaxx: Balance between Security, Portability and Ease-of-Use

Nilang Vyas, CTO of Jaxx & Decentral here. I’d like to take this opportunity to describe and explain the major points of Jaxx security model and how this model provides a strong balance between securing users assets, and providing the best user experience that allows for easy pairing across any device without the need for servers and user accounts. 

  • Jaxx is a hot wallet suitable for small amounts (similar to your regular wallet in your pocket) that connects to the internet in order to push transactions and show balances.
  • As a hot wallet we believe we have found an appropriate balance between ease-of- use, portability, and security.
  • Jaxx IS NOT cold storage. For large amounts we recommend hardware wallets.
  • Jaxx master backup seed is created, encrypted, stored client-side and never sent to any servers.
  • Jaxx allows for easy pairing across all devices (thus seed can not be encrypted by a secondary pin or password when pairing as it wouldn’t be portable / pairable without account / servers)
  • We expect Users to maintain control of their devices, and we strongly encourage the use of on- device security (ie pin, fingerprint, retina, etc.) in order to secure your ENTIRE device.
  • Jaxx offers a the option of a 4 digit PIN to further secure your wallet. If activated this PIN will be required when sending, changing PIN, and when displaying the master seed.
  • Should someone get access to your device your lines of defence are a) on-board device features b) encrypted master seed c) Jaxx PIN

 

We are very comfortable with this security model for hotwallets. The fact is there will always be tradeoffs between user experience, portability and security and we believe we’ve struck a great balance. Since 2013 over 750,000 Jaxx and (our former company) Kryptokit wallets have been created. Never have funds been lost on any of our productions versions due to an issue on our end. We stand by that amazing record.

Please please please, if you do not feel comfortable with our security model do not use our products. We’re are creating for the masses a multi-platform, multi-coin interface for the blockchain ecosystem where users are in full control of their digital lives.

In the future users will be able to secure their Jaxx wallet with both Trezor, Ledger and our own hardware wallets. Until that time, please use Jaxx as a hot wallet for small amounts, and use hardware wallets for larger amounts.    

Happy to answer any questions when I’m back in the office after the weekend.

Cheers and have a great weekend!
Nilang Vyas, Chief Technology Officer
Jaxx & Decentral

 

The Fintech and Blockchain World Expo has been postponed

The following is an important announcement concerning the forthcoming Fintech and Blockchain World Expo.

 

After consulting with several of our major event partners, as well as conducting a thorough internal review, we have decided to postpone the Expo to a future date yet to be determined.

 

The principal reason for the postponement is the number of conflicting, similarly themed events taking place on and around the same time as the Expo. Some of our major event partners felt that postponing the Expo to a less crowded time period would result in a greatly improved experience for all Expo attendees, participants, and collaborators.

 

Planning and executing an event like the Expo requires an intense amount of work and internal resources, and one of the other reasons we’re postponing the event is to refocus some of our efforts on projects that have been left underserved in the run-up to the Expo. We think we can better serve the blockchain community by redoubling our efforts on these projects for the time being.

 

Existing ticketholders have been offered a refund.

 

For any questions or concerns regarding the Expo’s postponement, please contact Events Coordinator Matthew Brown at matthew@decentral.ca.

Notice: Decentral sites under maintenance for the next 48 hours, possible downtime

 

We’re going to be performing some maintenance on Decentral’s websites over the next 24-48 hours, performing some amalgamation and updating our DDoS protection configuration. This may result in some downtime over this period for some or all of our sites and web services:

 

decentral.ca
jaxx.io
ethereumwallet.com
rushwallet.com
decentral.tv

 

This will not affect the functionality of Jaxx whatsoever. We apologize for any inconvenience and should have normal service restored before very long. Thanks in advance for your patience and understanding.

Why Ashton Kutcher & Akon are Tuning into Blockchain Technology

ashton akon blockchain technology

For many, especially individuals content with the status quo, it is unfathomable to predict the progress of future technology. For others, the idea of using decentralized strategies to further our technological autonomy has fueled ambition to create new and disruptive technologies.
 
For example, the blockchain is a technology that allows databases to be shared across a network of computers. Information on the blockchain exists on all computers (or nodes) on the network, and each block represents an up-to-date record of whatever information is being stored. The first and best-known application of the blockchain to date is the digital currency Bitcoin. However, the technology has many other potential uses, some that could have the capacity to reframe our social relations and power dynamics. The blockchain’s ability to facilitate transparency and disintermediate trust suggests blockchain adoption will bring on a paradigm shift in our culture.
 
So what do innovations like these mean to technophobes or people not particularly well-versed in technology? Disruptive technologies like the blockchain could mean that individuals no longer have to rely on a centralized authority to control social, economic, and even political transactions. This realization has gained the attention of the following celebrities who have been able to help close the gap between tech fanatics and mainstream populations:
 

1) Ashton Kutcher

The actor, producer, and now investor, has had his fair share of success acting in films such as No Strings Attached and The Butterfly Effect, along with TV roles in Two and a Half Men and Netflix original The Ranch. Kutcher, who co-founded his own venture capital firm in 2010, A-Grade Investments, has been a longtime fan of blockchain technology and Bitcoin. In a 2013 video, Kutcher spoke at TechCrunch Disrupt NY about the power of decentralized technology:
 

“…what can decentralized technology do? Imagine if we could decentralize [the] issue of security… the notion that we could civically monitor each other in an anonymous way actually keeps the anonymity of the Internet, we don’t have to worry about Big Brother and that same infrastructure that built out bitcoin could be used in the security industry for mass good.”

 


 
Kutcher also sees the political value of blockchains — especially with regards to proposals by two of the current US Presidential candidates for remittance policies that would obstruct migrant workers’ abilities to send money to their home lands.


 
Kutcher’s advocacy as a leader in disruptive technology could encourage a growing number of people to embrace blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies. It’s what celebrities do best — create trends and start conversations on these topics.
 

2) Akon

Recording artist and producer, Akon, has been a vocal supporter of blockchain technologies and cryptocurrency. When he is not making hits, he is busy doing philanthropic work. Most recently, he helped provide electricity to over 600 million individuals across Africa. Through his cryptocurrency advocacy, Akon has been a proactive voice for reclaiming personal autonomy through technology.
 
From promoting Bitcoin and digital currencies in his home country of Senegal, as well as across West Africa, Akon is hopeful for the future of charities and other initiatives. As he explains:
 

“Digital currency is going to be the future, and as you can see I can’t remember the last time I carried a wad of dollars in my pocket…there’s all these new innovative ideas, but one in particular, by the name of bitcoin… [it’s] going to change the world from a money transactional standpoint not just for Africa, but for everywhere.”

 
The message is clear: financial systems, as we know them, are changing. Blockchain technology has the potential to streamline access to financial services, override corporate influence and open up new markets wherever wealth disparity exists. This is not to say that this technology will immediately or permanently solve global economic inequality, but it throws a wrench into the system, empowering those who wouldn’t have had the chance to be prosperous. Celebrities like Akon are helping to make this happen.
 

3) Imogen Heap

As the only female artist to have won a Grammy award for engineering, the “Hide and Seek” singer has always been a leader in tech innovation in the music industry. For example, Heap invented and designed musical gloves to manipulate sounds with hand gestures that can be used to produce music.
 
Now, Heap has embraced Ethereum (co-founded by Decentral’s CEO Anthony Di Iorio), a decentralized blockchain platform that can execute peer-to-peer “smart” contracts. By working with coders to develop a publishing method that is provably transparent, Ethereum can automatically distribute payment for sales of all copyrighted content, essentially eliminating the need for a middleperson or centralized authority. Her Dapp (decentralized app), Mycelia by Heap, will allow individual components of songs (such as a beat or a hook) to be licensed and monetized, with the owner of the content losing less (or none) of their revenue to corporate rentiers.
 
This concept isn’t restricted to music. Since the digital age, creative industries such as books, films, and visual art have experienced a loss of control over their content. When physical properties get digitized, they can be reproduced and shared by a global audience without creators receiving revenues from it. With the blockchain, respect for artistic property is being reclaimed and Imogen Heap wants to be the leader of the revolution. Her single “Tiny Human,” which is only available for purchase with ether (the fuel that powers the Ethereum network), is solidifying Heap as a foremost innovator of music distribution using blockchain technology.
 

4) Richard Branson

Entrepreneur and billionaire Richard Branson has also been an avid promoter of Bitcoin and blockchain applications. In addition to acting as an advocate for cryptocurrencies and disruptive technologies, he has invested in cryptocurrency companies (e.g. BitPay), hosted an exclusive digital currency conference on his own private island, and onramped Bitcoin as an accepted form of payment for his space travel initiative, Virgin Galactic. In a discussion with Argentinian President, Mauricio Macri, Branson outlines how Bitcoin can offer individuals:
 

“Greater levels of control, freedom and scrutiny over what happens with our money, Bitcoin addresses these concerns and that is why so many people believe it represents the future. While many of us are excited about the possibilities Bitcoin has to offer, I’m not sure any of us would argue that it comes without problems.”

 
An extremely powerful and a high-profile celebrity, Branson can use his fame to spark overdue and meaningful conversations with decision-makers about cryptocurrencies and disruptive technology and, in turn, explore applicable use-cases.
 
coyno-bitcoin-expo-wien-4-638

 

5) Mike Tyson

Boxing bad boy Mike Tyson has been an avid participant in the Bitcoin revolution. Working in partnership with Bitcoin Direct, Tyson recently unveiled two Bitcoin-related initiatives: Mike Tyson Bitcoin, a Bitcoin ATM, and a digital wallet, the Mike Tyson Digital Wallet. Underlying both products is Tyson’s interest in increasing awareness about Bitcoin and encouraging non-specialists to use the cryptocurrency. As a celebrity, Tyson is interested in using his celebrity status to promote discussions about Bitcoin and its potential to incite positive change:
 

“People don’t really understand a currency based on numerical equations. I personally still don’t … but I’m grateful to be a part of the revolution and hoping that my participation in this space will lead to more conversations and help increase knowledge and awareness.”

 

 
While Tyson’s initiatives are still in their relative infancy, such endeavours offer insights into Bitcoin and blockchain technology test-cases. By investing in products aimed at non-specialists, celebrities like Tyson make accessible what may otherwise come across as exclusive or obscure technologies.
 
Disruptive and decentralized technologies are the future and we have just begun the journey. As more and more familiar faces get on board with blockchain technology, the gap between the tech industry and mainstream culture should definitely begin to narrow. Can you imagine our current society without the influence of the Internet? Neither can we. It’s everywhere. The question is, will blockchain technology be the next Internet, and what will its capabilities and influence be? All we know is that the future is here and it’s knocking on our doors. Will you let it in?
 

*

To learn more about Ethereum, check out its website here: www.ethereum.org
 
Matthew Brown is the Event and Marketing Coordinator at Decentral. He hopes to apply his studies in cyber anthropology toward blockchain technology. An avid networking enthusiast and social butterfly, you can find Matthew at all DEC_TECH meetups, the upcoming Blockchain World Expo and other events hosted by Decentral.
 
Picture of Ashton Kutcher courtesy of David Shank

Jaxx Ice Cube Announcement: Day 4 of 7 Days of Jaxx

jaxx by decentral

It’s Day 4 of 7 Days of Jaxx, and if you’ve been paying attention to the Jaxx website, you’ll notice there’s one pesky hexagon that refuses to go orange: our hardware wallet. Users have been asking us about this over the last few months and it’s been agonizing to keep this to ourselves. As part of Day 4 of 7 Days of Jaxx, we’re very excited to unveil our cold wallet solution, the Jaxx Ice Cube.
 
let you take control of your digital world
Jaxx Ice Cube is an easy-to-use cold storage device with a host of key features the community has been asking for, and the latest pillar in our mission to let you take control of your digital world.
 
A few features of the Jaxx Ice Cube:
 
– Generates your private keys on-device, and never connects to the internet
– GUI, camera and QR code functionality makes transferring funds a breeze
– Will have a fire rating and be waterproof
– Compact design ensures convenient physical storage in a safe or a safety deposit box, etc.
– One single twelve-word mnemonic backs up your bitcoin and ether, and all future coins and tokens Jaxx will be integrating.
 
The Jaxx Ice Cube is just the next step in Jaxx’s evolution into becoming the gateway for your digital world.
 
We’re in prototype mode right now; we’re expecting to begin production in late 2016/early 2017.
 

Download Jaxx for
Chrome
Android
iOS
Firefox
PC / Mac / Linux Desktop

Ethereum Infographic: Homestead Release

Ethereum infographic, blockchain consulting

The last few months have been very exciting for the Ethereum community. As more and more individuals, startups and established tech firms become acquainted with Ethereum’s potential as a platform for disruptive decentralized technology, the ecosystem continues to explode. This excitement will continue as we ramp up to the March 14th release of Homestead, the second major version release of Ethereum.

To celebrate the milestone ahead, we’ve updated our What is Ethereum infographic… Homestead style. This will serve as an excellent primer for beginners and anyone else who’s interested in getting a high-level overview of what Ethereum is all about. Enjoy!

Ethereum infographic
By Anthony Di Iorio

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Decentral to launch Bitcoin Cards at retailers nationwide

Bitcoin Cards, blockchain consulting

https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/decentral-launch-bitcoin-cards-retailers-130000503.html
 
Decentral, Canada’s leading hub for disruptive and decentralized technologies, is excited to announce the nationwide launch of a new product that will enable Canadians from coast to coast to purchase bitcoin from local retail stores.
 
Decentral Bitcoin Cards are the first of their kind in Canada. Available in denominations of $20, $50, and $100, they can be purchased at local retail stores – just like a phone card or gift card – and redeemed for bitcoin via the Decentral Bitcoin Card website.
 
“We’ve helped thousands of customers purchase bitcoin at our bitcoin ATM in Toronto, and our goal has always been to increase availability across Canada. Based on the knowledge we’ve gained over the years, we’ve developed a system that makes buying bitcoin as easy and convenient as possible for both customers and merchants,” says Decentral founder and CEO Anthony Di Iorio.
 
Originally trialled in 2014 and perfected last year, Decentral Bitcoin Cards simplify the bitcoin purchasing experience. “The Cards remove the hassles and technical issues associated with installing, maintaining and using terminals or ATMs,” says Di Iorio. “Our new system can be scaled quickly to new locations without the existing roadblocks and complicated logistics common to Bitcoin ATMs.”
 
Decentral Bitcoin Cards are launching in selected provinces later this month, and will be available nationwide before the summer. Decentral expects to have Bitcoin, Ethereum and other select digital currency cards available for purchase in thousands of retail locations by the end of the year.
 
 

ABOUT DECENTRAL

Located in downtown Toronto, Canada, Decentral is an innovation hub for disruptive and decentralized technologies. Offerings include blockchain and fintech consultancy services and software development, as well as a two-way Bitcoin ATM. Decentral also organizes community-driven events in the domains of fintech, blockchain, cryptocurrencies and decentralized technologies.
 

ABOUT BITCOIN

Bitcoin is a decentralized digital currency that operates independently of a central bank and uses encryption techniques to verify the transfer of funds. Since bitcoin first launched in 2009, it has become increasingly popular with tech-savvy consumers as a payment method that allows both consumers and retailers to remove the middlemen that drive up prices.
 
For information and media inquiries, please contact Anne Connelly at Anne@Decentral.ca
 

Decentral    |    123 Spadina Ave.    |    416-831-9593

UK Blockchain Report 2016: A Summary

UK blockchain report 2016: highlights, blockchain consulting canada

On January 19, the UK Government’s Department of Science released an 88-page report on blockchain technology, titled Distributed Ledger Technology: Beyond Block Chain. (They’ve also released a short video to accompany the UK blockchain report.) The report is just the latest effort by a government department to not only define blockchain technology and Bitcoin for a non-technical audience, but to lay out a plausible game-plan for potential blockchain implementation for government services and major industries. Here are the highlights of the UK blockchain report.
 

UK blockchain report: A groundbreaking technology

Since the report is designed to sell legislators on the Department of Science’s specific recommendations, the report’s writers have gone to great lengths to state their case for the revolutionary possibilities of blockchain technologies. The language is simple and accessible, and designed with its non-technical audience in mind.
 
The report begins by offering a historical context for disruptive technological innovations like Bitcoin and blockchain. For example, the UK blockchain report considers the entire history of money itself, from “cowrie shells to hammered pennies to Bitcoin,” and looks at these technologies as key stops along a continuum of innovation. This theme of evolving processes and technologies, with the role that decentralized systems could have to play in the continuation of that evolution, is a consistent motif.
 
Another major focus of the report is to explain computer code as both separate from and related to legal code, examining the ways in which the former influences the latter and vice versa. As the report explains, legal code requires external enforcement, while computer code is self-enforcing. The report suggests services that could benefit from a hybrid approach – legislation developed with with progressive coding in mind, in collaboration with experts. It also outlines the differences in practice between private rule-making (governance) and public rule-making (legislation), arguing the need for new models of governance for these systems that take into account the needs of both regulators and users. As the report points out, some important internet technologies, such as TCP/IP, were the direct result of government technology initiatives, so we know that successful collaboration is possible.
 
The report emphasizes the importance of the UK’s continuing efforts to act as leaders for technological innovation on the world stage. It argues that the UK already has some crucial initiatives in place that could be put to work on inventing tomorrow’s solutions, including the Alan Turing Institute, and warns of the dangers of being too cautious or waiting for perfect solutions to emerge before getting a strong foothold in the space.
 
The report also dives into a variety of case studies, in support of its argument that decentralized technologies are already finding compelling applications of interest to government actors. It looks at the Estonian government’s assortment of blockchain-based financial solutions, the European Commission Energy Union Framework Strategy’s investigations into modernizing the management of the Euro electrical grid with distributed ledgers, Everledger’s system for assuring the identity and source of individual diamonds to help crack down on the market for “blood diamonds,” and more, while also speculating on potential solutions that have yet to be developed, such as using distributed ledger technology to shield civil infrastructure against cyberattacks..
 

UK blockchain report: potential threats

Alongside the opportunities, the UK blockchain report also identifies key challenges and threats. It notes the security challenges that arise when permissions are used, highlighting the need for comprehensive review of the specific security needs of individual sets of users, especially in cases where sensitive information (health records, financials) are being accessed. It identifies the greatest threat to these proposed technologies as obsolescence; non-adoption by potential users, generally because the new option is too intimidating or complex, could prove fatal.
 
The report’s final sections consider the global outlook, highlighting the features of what it calls digital nations, from government awareness of emerging technologies to investment in industry and the integration of business leaders and digital engineers into positions of influence. The report argues that the UK has a lot of work to do if it’s to become a leading digital nation, and offers incentives and strategies to do so. It also examines the current state of (and potential for) data and policy interoperability in matters of identification and authentication.