Blockchain Press Releases
Amid Rise in Internet Shutdowns in the Middle East, Internet Society Launches ‘NetLoss’ Calculator to Measure Economic Impact
The groundbreaking NetLoss calculator uses a unique econometric framework to give a new level of precision in estimating the impact of Internet shutdowns worldwide
WASHINGTON, June 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — The Internet Society today launched the NetLoss calculator, a revolutionary tool that measures the economic impact of Internet shutdowns around the world. Hosted on the Internet Society’s Pulse Platform that tracks and analyzes shutdowns, NetLoss uses a groundbreaking econometric framework to understand the impacts of shutdowns and provides an unprecedented level of rigor and precision in estimating their economic damage.
Internet shutdowns globally reached a record high in 2022, with governments around the world ordering Internet access and services to be restricted or blocked during civil unrest, school exams, and during elections, which resulted in major economic consequences.
The Middle East and North Africa region experienced 37 shutdowns across 11 countries, which is a 62 percent increase from 2021. According to NetLoss the recent shutdown in Sudan, which took place from April 19-24 2023, is estimated to have cost the country more than USD 3 million as well as the loss of 560 jobs. Iran experienced the most shutdowns in the region at 18; other countries that experienced shutdowns were Algeria, Iraq, Jordan, Libya, Oman, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, and Yemen. 24.3% of shutdowns in the region were service-based, which involves blocking access to messaging and social media platforms.
Governments often mistakenly believe that Internet shutdowns will quell unrest, stop the spread of misinformation, or reduce harm from cybersecurity threats. But shutdowns are extremely disruptive to economic activity: they halt e-commerce, generate losses in time-sensitive transactions, increase unemployment, interrupt business-customer communications, and create financial and reputational risks for companies. They also hurt a country’s growth as research shows Internet adoption positively impacts Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
The Internet Society has long opposed the practice of Internet shutdowns, and urges all governments to refrain from implementing them due to the damage they inflict on a nation’s economy, civil society, and Internet infrastructure. With NetLoss, organizations and advocates can demonstrate to governments and regulators how a shutdown will negatively impact their nation’s economy.
In addition to the estimated cost of an Internet shutdown (i.e. the loss in GDP), the Internet Society NetLoss calculator also estimates:
- The change in the unemployment rate due to a shutdown.
- The amount of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) lost due to a shutdown.
- Risk of a shutdown: the probability that a country will experience a shutdown.
“The global rise in Internet shutdowns shows that governments continue to ignore the negative consequences of undermining the open, accessible, and secure nature of the global Internet,” said Andrew Sullivan, President and CEO of the Internet Society. “The calculator is a major step forward for the community of journalists, policymakers, technologists, and other stakeholders who are pushing back against the damaging practice of Internet shutdowns. Its groundbreaking and fully transparent methodology will help show governments around the world that shutting down the Internet is never a solution.”
The calculator considers a wide range of economic impacts beyond traditional measures of economic output, such as GDP, to demonstrate the financial impact of an Internet shutdown. It also includes the change in the unemployment rate, the amount of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) lost, and the risk of a future shutdowns.
In addition to its primary indicators, the NetLoss calculator’s methodology also takes into account other factors that can impact country-specific economic outcomes, including the age dependency ratio (percentage of working 18-65 years old to total population), the fraction of the population residing in urban areas, and the percentage of the labor force with basic education.
By using the following open data sets, the NetLoss calculator’s methodology is reproducible and transparent:
- Shutdown data: Includes detailed event-level data on government-mandated shutdown events.
- Protests and civil unrest: Includes detailed event-level data on various events, their start and end dates, involved parties, and associated fatalities.
- Elections: The Constituency-Level Elections Archive maintained by Yale University provides elections data from 150 countries since 1960.
- Socioeconomic indicators: The World Bank provides data on economic indicators including GDP per capita, employment, inflation, and foreign investment.
The framework used in the NetLoss calculator builds on the Internet Society’s long standing research and advocacy on this issue via the Pulse Platform. Launched in December 2020, Internet Society Pulse consolidates trusted third-party Internet measurement data from various sources into a single platform to examine Internet trends and tell data-driven stories so that policymakers, researchers, journalists, network operators, civil society groups and others can better understand the health, availability and evolution of the Internet.
The source of data for NetLoss is the World Bank’s World Development Indicators, which typically corrects for minor statistical changes. Data used in the calculator is updated quarterly.
The NetLoss calculator can be found at: https://pulse.internetsociety.org/netloss
About the Internet Society
Founded in 1992 by Internet pioneers, the Internet Society is a global non-profit organization working to ensure the Internet is for everyone. Through its community of members, special interest groups, and 130+ chapters around the world, the organization defends and promotes Internet policies, standards, and protocols that keep the Internet open, globally connected, and secure. For more information, please visit internetsociety.org.
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View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/amid-rise-in-internet-shutdowns-in-the-middle-east-internet-society-launches-netloss-calculator-to-measure-economic-impact-301865318.html
Finfare Connect, a market-leading rewards platform empowering businesses to engage and retain customers through personalized offers, has announced an innovative collaboration with ZBD, a leading payments company at the forefront of digital economies.
Finfare Connect is a part of Finfare Inc., a thriving fintech company with offices in Irvine, California and London.
Through this strategic alliance, Finfare will provide ZBD users with access to affiliate, card-linked, and instant cashback offers, enabling them to earn Bitcoin through everyday purchases, above and beyond those already earned via the ZBD app.
Beginning today, ZBD users will have the option to link their payment card or multiple payment accounts to start automatically earning rewards while shopping online or at in-person stores. Card linking involves connecting a single payment card, while account linking occurs when a user connects multiple bank accounts to earn highly customized rewards.
In terms of rewards, ZBD users who sign up for the program will have access to offers from thousands of well-known brands such as Nike, Adidas, Asics, Crocs, Tommy Hilfiger, Urban Outfitters, Cole Haan, Steve Madden; and popular retailers such as Nordstrom, Brookstone and Best Buy, among many others.
ZBD’s innovative app immerses users in a world of games and apps, allowing them to earn Bitcoin while enjoying diverse entertainment experiences.
Now, US-based ZBD users will be able to seamlessly earn Bitcoin through their everyday purchases simply by linking their payment accounts via the ZBD app. Then, they will automatically earn Bitcoin whenever they purchase an item that’s promoted by FinFare.
“We are thrilled to launch this exciting offering with ZBD,” said Alan Zrado, Executive Vice President, Finfare Connect. “Through this alliance, we are enhancing the way ZBD users engage with digital payments, offering them unparalleled opportunities to earn Bitcoin through their everyday transactions. This partnership also underscores our commitment to empowering businesses by providing their customers with compelling, customized, and valued rewards.”
“We are excited to join forces with Finfare Connect to give ZBD users greater value by giving them more ways to easily earn Bitcoin rewards,” said Ben Cousens, Chief Strategy Officer of ZBD. “By combining Finfare Connect’s expertise in personalized offers with ZBD’s cutting-edge payments technology, we are providing our users with a great way to earn Bitcoin by shopping as they normally would anyway.”
The post ZBD and Finfare partner to offer gamers cash rewards for their everyday purchases! appeared first on HIPTHER Alerts.
Blockchain Press Releases
Validation Cloud Secures $10M Lead to Scale AI for Web3 from True Global Ventures
ZUG, Switzerland, Oct. 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Validation Cloud, the leading Web3 data and AI company, has selected True Global Ventures as its lead investor, with a contribution of $10M. The company plans to use the funds to expand its AI product, bringing seamless access to Web3 data and enabling unparalleled user experiences to network ecosystems and applications.
“Web3 needs seamless access to data to reach a billion users; Validation Cloud is solving this critical hurdle to adoption through technological breakthroughs in its core platform alongside AI. We have seen staking and node API services, but never in combination with AI. This is what we are most excited about with Validation Cloud’s data product offering for Web3 infrastructure companies,” said Beatrice Lion, CEO & General Partner of True Global Ventures.
The company’s product platform consists of three components: staking, node API, and data & AI. In staking, Validation Cloud has exceeded more than $1 billion of assets staked, growing 400% year-over-year. Further, its Node API consistently demonstrates the best global performance, measured by CompareNodes. Some of Validation Cloud’s clients include Chainlink, Aptos, Consensys, Stellar, and Hedera.
Most notably, its AI platform makes on-chain data exploration easier and faster. By compressing navigation from hours to seconds, Validation Cloud’s platform drives greater engagement, resulting in a larger, more active user base. This innovation represents a distinctive step in making blockchain data more accessible.
“We are thrilled to partner with True Global Ventures due to their global commercial reach, focus on the intersection of Web3 and AI, and synergistic portfolio. TGV has a deep alignment with our mission and exceptional value-add beyond their capital,” said Alex Nwaka, Co-Founder of Validation Cloud.
Validation Cloud is one of the fastest-growing companies in Web3. This funding round follows the company’s raise in February 2024, led by San Francisco-based Cadenza Ventures, with participation from Blockwall, Bloccelerate, Side Door Ventures, GS Futures, AP Capital, Blockchain Founders Fund, and Metamatic.
About Validation Cloud
Validation Cloud is a Web3 data and AI company with industry-leading products in staking, node, and data-as-a-service. Validation Cloud is trusted by the top networks, applications, and enterprises in Web3 demanding #1 performance, scalability, and SOC2 Type 2 compliance.
Learn more at Validationcloud.io | LinkedIn | X | Podcast
For investor inquiries, you can contact: [email protected]
About True Global Ventures, TGV
TGV 4 Plus Fund invests in AI and blockchain-driven companies globally. TGV backs visionary entrepreneurs in sectors including AI, entertainment, technology infrastructure and financial services in early stages and beyond Series B.
View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/validation-cloud-secures-10m-lead-to-scale-ai-for-web3-from-true-global-ventures-302283303.html
Blockchain Press Releases
Acceleration of global marketing collaboration between Milk Partners, AirAsia rewards, and The Sandbox
– Milk Partners, AirAsia rewards and The Sandbox are collaborating to provide a new experience allowing users to earn real-world value through the metaverse gaming platform
– Launching metaverse game project ‘MiL.k X BIGGIE Wonderverse’ offering SAND Tokens, Milk Coins and AirAsia points
– “MiL.k is committed to continuously expanding its blockchain ecosystem through strategic partnerships with global partners.”
SEOUL, South Korea, Oct. 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Milk Partners has announced a collaboration with The Sandbox, the global metaverse platform, and AirAsia rewards, the loyalty program of Asia’s leading online travel agency (OTA), AirAsia MOVE. This partnership is set to offer global users an immersive Web3 experience where they can earn rewards with real-world value through engaging in a metaverse-based game.
The newly launched ‘MiL.k X BIGGIE Wonderverse’ metaverse game allows users to earn Sand Tokens, Milk Coins, and AirAsia points. The game is inspired by BIGGIE, the mascot of AirAsia rewards, and modeled after the BIGGIE Wonderland mini-game in the AirAsia MOVE app. Users need to first complete tasks by collecting Milk Coins (symbolized game assets) in the Sandbox metaverse, which can be exchanged for other game assets such as virtual AirAsia points, virtual passports, and virtual boarding passes. Once all tasks are completed, users will then be rewarded with Milk Coins, Sand Tokens, and AirAsia points.
This collaboration has been based on MiL.k’s reliability and strong global network, which has steadily expanded partnerships with major global companies and has become an innovative model for the industry.
This collaboration is part of MiL.k’s broader strategy to expand its blockchain-based loyalty ecosystem, which already includes partnerships with SK OK Cashbag, Lotte L.Point, CU, Megabox, Yanolja, and others. AirAsia rewards operates a comprehensive loyalty platform for the AirAsia group, enhancing its travel and lifestyle businesses, including airlines, online travel agent (OTA), logistics, aviation services, e-commerce, financial services, and more. The Sandbox, a global metaverse platform with over 6 million users, offers a unique space for creating games and generating revenue. Together, AirAsia rewards and The Sandbox will further expand MiL.k’s ecosystem through global partnerships.
The CEO of Milk Partners, Jungmin Cho said “Following our successful collaboration event with CU, we are happy to announce the next event with AirAsia rewards. Through this partnership, for partners, we are providing a new marketing channel on metaverse and for users, we are expecting to share the fun experience and real benefits.” He added, “We will continue to explore various opportunities with global partners across diverse industries.”
In June, MiL.k introduced a metaverse experience ‘Play CUX MiL.k’ with CU and The Sandbox, offering users an engaging new way to explore blockchain and the metaverse. MiL.k is committed to continuously expanding its global partnerships to provide more exciting experiences for global users.
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View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/acceleration-of-global-marketing-collaboration-between-milk-partners-airasia-rewards-and-the-sandbox-302282640.html
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