Open-source refers to the practice of making source code freely available to the public, allowing anyone to view, modify and distribute the code. In computer science and software development, open source is important for several reasons, as explained in the below sections. Collaboration and innovation Global collaboration and contributions to the creation of software projects are made possible by open source, leading to faster innovation and the creation of more advanced and reliable software. The creation of the Linux operating system is a prime illustration of how open source promotes cooperation and innovation. Linus Torvalds founded the open-source Linux project …

The crypto winter and FTX collapse has decimated the ranks of cryptocurrency lenders. Genesis, BlockFi, Voyageur Digital and Celsius Network all filed for bankruptcy in the past seven months, and the contagion may still not be over. But at least one crypto lender appears to be on the comeback trail. SALT Lending, one of the world’s first cryptocurrency lenders, announced Feb. 8 that it has closed a $64.4 million financing that will strengthen its balance sheet and replenish its capital reserves. Accredited investors will receive shares of the company’s preferred stock in return for their funding. Though the Series A …

As Uniswap DAO’s vote to deploy to BNB chain continues, LIFI CEO Phillip Zentner argued in a February 6 forum post that the current proposal is flawed. According to him, the plan to use Wormhole as the sole governance bridge for Uniswap should be abandoned. Instead, he claimed that Uniswap researchers should work on a standardized system for using multiple bridges to handle governance decisions. The ongoing discussion on @Uniswap's forum is critical for the multi-chain ecosystem in 2023. TL;DR: Uniswap's model for x-chain governance will likely become industry standard. As an unbiased member of the community, @lifiprotocol is rooting …

Web3 infrastructure developer ConsenSys, the maker of the popular MetaMask digital wallet, has cast 7.03 million votes in favor of a proposal that would see decentralized exchange (DEX) Uniswap v3 deployed on BNB Chain, according to data from Tally. The votes are denominated by the number of underlying UNI owned by ConsenSys, worth an estimated $47.5 million. At the time of writing, 77.56% of participants were in favor of the proposal, with 22.07% against it. The week-long voting process will close on Feb. 10. As Cointelegraph previously reported on Feb. 5, venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz cast a vote against …

DeFi’s use case in traditional finance could grow in the coming years as new protocols attempt to support the securitization of real-world assets, according to a new research report from credit rating agency S&P Global Ratings. The financing of real-world assets, or RWAs, will likely be a key focus area for DeFi protocols moving forward, S&P said in a report titled "DeFi Protocols For Securitization: A Credit Risk Perspective." Although the industry is still in its nascent stages, S&P highlighted several benefits DeFi could bring to securitization, including reducing transaction costs, improving transparency on asset pools, reducing counterparty risks and …

Data science plays a critical role in supporting decision-making processes by providing insights and recommendations based on data analysis. In order to create new products, services and procedures, businesses can use data science to gain a deeper understanding of consumer behavior, market trends and corporate performance. By giving businesses a competitive edge in the market through better decision-making, increased consumer involvement and more efficient corporate processes, it enables companies to achieve a competitive advantage. The demand for data science experts is rising quickly, opening up new possibilities for development on both a personal and professional level. Here are five high-paying …

With Ethereum showing resilience through the latest cryptocurrency winter, Consensus founder Joe Lubin says he’s ‘bullish’ over Ether's (ETH) relative stability through compounding macro events. Cointelegraph Magazine editor Andrew Fenton spoke to Lubin at the Web3 event Building Blocks 23 in Tel Aviv, Israel, for an all-encompassing interview around the current state and future of the Ethereum ecosystem landscape. The co-founder of the preeminent smart contract blockchain protocol touched on a number of subjects, including ETH’s market performance over the past year. A myriad of macro events, including the collapse of algorithmic stablecoin Terra/LUNA and the demise of cryptocurrency exchange …

The development of blockchain technology and the growing adoption of nonfungible tokens (NFTs) are two factors that have contributed to the proliferation of play-to-earn collectible games. Play-to-earn (P2E) games allow players to gain benefits by participating in the game, such as in-game currency and items. This creates a new dynamic where players can profit from their in-game actions, enhancing the fun and purpose of the gaming experience. Additionally, the usage of NFTs and blockchain technology in play-to-earn games gives players greater ownership and scarcity, which increases demand and can result in higher prices for exclusive in-game commodities. Play-to-earn games like …

A massive earthquake hit southeastern Turkey along the border with Syria on Feb. 6, which has so far caused the death of more than 5,000 people. The quake had a magnitude of 7.8 on the Richter scale, which is internationally categorized as a “major” earthquake, and occurred along 100km (62 miles) of the fault line. Infrastructure in the area suffered major damages, resulting in a deadly cross-border humanitarian disaster. However, the world was quick to respond. Across the internet and various social media platforms, people have been gathering funds for local and international aid organizations to provide relief to those …

Liquid staking protocol Lido is set to roll out staking reward withdrawals and improved staking architecture with the announcement of the upcoming Lido V2 upgrade. Two major focal points of the planned upgrade include Lido’s introduction of its new Staking Router and the enabling of withdrawals for Ethereum (ETH) stakers. The Staking Router introduces a modular architectural design allowing the development of on-ramps for new node operators, including solo stakers, decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs) and distributed validator technology clusters. The latter is a protocol that allows validator duties to be shared across multiple nodes. The Staking Router is envisaged to …

The financial technology (fintech) industry has its roots in the late 20th century, with the advent of electronic banking and online stock trading. Since then, fintech has expanded and changed over time as a result of technological and internet advances. As a result, new financial services and products have been created with the intention of enhancing accessibility, simplicity and effectiveness in the financial services industry. The 2008 global financial crisis aided the growth of fintech by increasing customer demand for non-traditional banking and financial services. By enabling customers to access financial services from any location at any time, the rise …

The damages caused by the fall of major crypto ecosystems in the last year are on a path of steady recovery as good actors take proactive measures to rebuild trust among investors. Major players from the decentralized finance (DeFi) ecosystem came together to showcase the incentive behind operating trustless, interoperable and permissionless platforms. For 24-hrs from Feb.6 to 7, over 30 DeFi protocols joined in an initiative to “permissionlessly” share tweets from other protocols — thus highlighting the permissionless and interoperable nature of Web3. Projects participating in this campaign include Yearn, MakerDAO, SushiSwap and Aave, among others. An experiment in …