Publié le Laisser un commentaire

Warhammer 40K Space Marine 2 Outlines 2025 Roadmap – Wccftech

With 2024 nearly gone, Saber Interactive has released a community update on the Warhammer 40K Space Marine 2 for 2025. The developer acknowledged the fans’ cries for more PvP content, and they plan to deliver next year, starting with a new PvP map set in a closed environment with plenty of tight corridors, forcing players to engage more often in closed-quarter battles.
Patch 7.0 will also see the addition of custom PvP lobbies, another community request. Users will get to tweak various modifiers and change the number of players (up to 6v6), the timer limit for each match, the maximum score limit, and even to remove the limitation of having more than two players for each class in the same match.
Of course, Warhammer 40K Space Marine 2 is also being expanded with more PvE content, such as the previously announced Horde mode. Additionally, there will be new missions and enemies, a new difficulty level (linked to new rewards), and a brand new Prestige Rank. The latter feature will be introduced in Season 3, allowing players to further upgrade their classes.
When it comes to new Champions, the next addition is the Salamander, a Sniper character available in both PvE and PVP. Saber explained that the Sniper could have just as easily belonged to the Raven Guard, but they have other plans for that Space Marine Chapter.
The developer will also add more customization, like the Mark VI Corvus, and continue to expand the Battle Barge. Next year, a new area called Data Vault will be opened, featuring unlockable information on most enemies from the game. Players can unlock them with a special currency earned through in-game achievements.
Following the game’s debut in September, Saber Interactive has been pumping out patches for their game. The Obelisk update launched two weeks ago, adding the titular PvE co-op Operation, support for NVIDIA DLSS 3 and AMD FSR 3 on PC, and support for PlayStation 5 Pro on console.
The aggressive roadmap isn’t surprising, given that Warhammer 40K Space Marine 2 has been one of the most successful releases of 2024 with over five million units sold as of late November. Saber clearly intends to continue striking the iron while it’s hot, keeping the fanbase glued to the game for the foreseeable future. Meanwhile, the game is included in our shortlist for best shooter of 2024.
Some posts on wccftech.com may contain affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com
© 2024 WCCF TECH INC. 700 – 401 West Georgia Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada

source

Publié le Laisser un commentaire

Minnesota’s Consumer Privacy Law Takes Aim at Profiling and Takes Effect Soon – JD Supra

Mintz - Privacy & Cybersecurity Viewpoints
It’s the season of lists and next on ours: Minnesota! This state joined 18 others to enact comprehensive data privacy legislation in recent years. To avoid being on the “naughty” list, make sure to review your compliance program!
On May 19, 2024, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (D) signed into law the Minnesota Consumer Data Privacy Act (“MNCDPA”), which will take effect on July 31, 2025. While the MNCDPA’s framework is similar to many other state privacy laws already in effect, the law also includes notable provisions for small businesses and broader consumer rights around profiling. The following article explains what businesses are covered by the law and highlights key provisions of the MNCDPA.
The Minnesota Consumer Data Privacy Act applies to entities that:
Like most other states, the MNCDPA defines a “consumer” as an individual who is a resident of Minnesota and acting only in an individual or household context. This definition specifically excludes individuals acting in a commercial or employment context.
Similarly to many other consumer privacy laws, the first prong of the MNCDPA expressly excludes entities that control or process data for the sole purpose of completing payment transactions.
Finally, the law also applies to entities acting as “technology providers” under Minnesota Statute 13.32, which covers any persons who contract with public educational institutions to provide school-issued devices to students and create, receive, or maintain educational data. This is a notable effort on the part of Minnesota lawmakers to impose this law and its requirements on any business – big or small – providing technology to public schools and should be of key importance to ed tech providers.
The MNCDPA contains a number of categorical exemptions that are in line with many other state privacy laws. The law exempts government entities, federally recognized Indian tribes, state or federally chartered banks and credit unions, insurance companies, and nonprofits established to detect and prevent insurance fraud. Minnesota is one of only a few states to exempt small businesses, as defined by the U.S. Small Business Administration; however, the law makes clear that such small businesses are prohibited from selling a consumer’s sensitive data without prior consent (and are subject to enforcement under the MNCDPA for any violation of this restriction).
Additionally, the MNCDPA exempts certain types of data such as health records, protected health information (“PHI”) under HIPAA, data for public health activities and purposes under HIPAA, consumer credit-reporting data, and information regulated by the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, the Driver’s Privacy Protection Act, the Farm Credit Act, the Airline Deregulation Act, and the Fair Credit Reporting Act. Note that these exemptions relate to the data and not to the entity, therefore, some personal data collected or processed by entities regulated by the various federal statutes could be required to comply with the MNCDPA as it relates to other types of personal data. The MNCDPA also exempts data processed or maintained for the purposes of job applications or employment, administering benefits, or collecting emergency contact information.
In contrast to some other states, the MNCDPA does not exempt higher educational institutions (though some will not be required to comply with its requirements until 2029). Moreover, the law contains only a narrow exemption for nonprofit organizations that have been established only for the purposes of detecting and preventing fraudulent acts of insurance fraud. Many nonprofits may thus find themselves subject to the provisions of this law and should be prepared to comply with the MNCDPA.
Minnesota consumers have the following rights under the MNCDPA:
Importantly, the MNCDPA includes additional unique rights specific to profiling. If a consumer’s personal data has been profiled in a way that produces legal or similarly significant effects, consumers have the following rights:
Consumers may exercise their rights under the MNCDPA at any time by submitting a request to an entity specifying which rights they wish to exercise. Parents and legal guardians of children under thirteen (13) years of age may exercise such rights on their children’s behalf.
The MNCDPA requires covered entities to:
Covered entities must provide consumers with a “reasonably accessible, clear and meaningful” privacy notice that includes at a minimum the following:
Note that businesses must provide reasonable notice to consumers of any material change to their privacy notice, taking into account available technology and the nature of the consumer relationship. In addition, businesses must provide a reasonable opportunity for those consumers to withdraw consent following the change.
THE DOs – Covered entities must:
THE DON’Ts – Covered entities must not:
Processors such as vendors to covered businesses most often will have direct obligations under the MNCDPA, such as:
A processor must enter into contracts with covered businesses that govern how it processes personal data on the covered businesses’ behalf. The MNCDPA prescribes the following requirements that must be included in data processing agreements between the parties:
Furthermore, the contract must require the processor to do the following:
The MNCDPA defines “deidentified data” as data that cannot reasonably be linked to an identified or identifiable individual, and such data is expressly excluded from the definition of “personal data.” As with other state privacy laws, the MNCDPA requires businesses to take reasonable measures to ensure that such data cannot be associated with an individual and contractually require recipients of deidentified data to comply with such provisions. The MNCDPA, along with a few other states such as Virginia and Connecticut, also requires entities to “publicly commit” to only process data in a deidentified fashion and not attempt to reidentify such data.
Further, the MNCDPA defines “pseudonymous data” as “personal data that cannot be attributed to a specific natural person without the use of additional information.” In cases where entities can show that any additional information necessary to identify a consumer is (i) kept separately and (ii) subject to effective technical and organizational measures that prevent the business from accessing such information, then a consumer’s rights to access, delete, and opt-out will not be available for such pseudonymous data.
In general, the MNCDPA requires businesses that use deidentified or pseudonymous data to exercise reasonable oversight to ensure compliance with contractual commitments with third parties dealing with such data. Businesses should also take prompt and reasonable actions to address any breaches of these provisions.
As with many state consumer privacy laws, the MNCDPA does not provide consumers with a private right of action. The Minnesota Attorney General will have exclusive authority to enforce the MNCDPA.
The law also provides for a thirty-day cure period where, prior to bringing an enforcement action, the Attorney General will provide a violating entity with a “warning letter” identifying the specific provisions of the MNCDPA that have allegedly been violated. Entities will have thirty days to cure alleged violations or else face enforcement action. Readers should note that Minnesota will no longer offer such “cure periods” after January 31, 2026.
If violations are left uncured, the Minnesota Attorney General may initiate enforcement actions against entities to recover up to $7,500 in civil penalties per violation. Violators will also be subject to an injunction and part or all of the Attorney General’s litigation expenses.
[View source.]
See more »
DISCLAIMER: Because of the generality of this update, the information provided herein may not be applicable in all situations and should not be acted upon without specific legal advice based on particular situations. Attorney Advertising.
© Mintz – Privacy & Cybersecurity Viewpoints
Refine your interests »
Back to Top
Explore 2024 Readers’ Choice Awards
Copyright © JD Supra, LLC

source

Publié le Laisser un commentaire

How gen AI will transform life sciences in 2025 – Health Tech World

By Shweta Maniar, Global Director, Healthcare & Life Sciences, Google Cloud
Lengthy drug development timelines and complex regulatory hurdles are two of the most longstanding challenges in this space, and this new technology can significantly support and accelerate these processes for biotech and pharmaceutical companies.
In 2024, numerous pilot programs transitioned from experimental stages to production, with Google Cloud customers accelerating drug discovery timelines, streamlining clinical trial processes, and establishing the building blocks to delivering more personalised patient care.
In fact, we recently conducted a study which found 62 per cent of healthcare and life sciences execs have already moved gen AI use cases into production, with 74 per cent seeing ROI from their gen AI investments on at least one use case.
Looking ahead to 2025, we expect the life sciences industry will scale its use of gen AI with greater purpose. As these applications continue to deliver ROI, gen AI adoption across the industry is set to increase, unlocking new potential at the intersection of science and technology.
We’re seeing four trends drive the adoption of gen AI, including multimodal AI, AI agents, intuitive search, and AI-powered consumer experiences. In the following article, I’ll explore each of these trends and why they’re important to biotech and pharmaceutical companies in 2025.
The success of AI models – particularly in the life sciences industry – depends heavily on the richness and diversity of underlying data. These models must be capable of processing vast, complex data sets, including a mix of images, texts, charts, genomic information, and medical records.
To deliver on this promise, the underlying AI models must be multimodal – meaning they can integrate and analyse data from multiple formats. By providing a more comprehensive and nuanced understanding of scientific data, multimodal AI can not only accelerate drug discovery but also enhance diagnostics.
For example, Bayer is harnessing AI to revolutionise drug discovery by analysing extensive datasets and automating critical tasks, accelerating the journey toward new medicines. Leveraging generative AI, Bayer built solutions that can automate the completion of up to 80 per cent of regulatory dossiers, streamline regulatory workflows and speed up access to medications for patients.
In oncology, Bayer is using synthetic images generated from histology data to overcome the challenges of limited training data, especially in rare diseases. These synthetic images have shown great promise in enhancing diagnostic capabilities in oncology and radiology, helping fill crucial data gaps in these fields.
As an industry, we want to be able to identify the right treatment for the right patient at the right time. We no longer accept that it often takes 10 to 20 years for personalised medicine solutions to come to market.
Multimodal AI will help reveal patterns and predictions that were previously beyond reach, driving faster diagnoses, more efficient drug development, and deliver a new era of personalized medicine.
In 2025, AI agents will play an increasingly transformative role across the life sciences industry. These advanced AI tools are capable of automating complex tasks, from genomic data analysis and clinical trial design to report generation and support for commercial activities. We’ll see AI agents deployed widely to streamline workflows, enhance decision-making, and boost overall productivity for employees.
AI agents may be used to optimize clinical trials by swiftly analysing patient data, pinpointing ideal recruitment locations, and automating the assessment of trial outcomes. This level of automation holds the potential to significantly reduce the time and costs associated with clinical trials, ultimately accelerating the process of bringing new medicines to market.
As these agents take on repetitive, data-intensive tasks, researchers and clinicians will be able to focus more on strategic work, thus pushing the boundaries of innovation in patient care and drug discovery.
For example, Exscientia leverages Google Cloud gen AI capabilities to accelerate drug discovery through a Design-Make-Test-Learn (DMTL) cycle. These AI agents analyse datasets to identify drug targets and design novel molecules using gen AI and active learning algorithms. This collaboration enables faster drug discovery, improves drug efficacy and safety, and fosters innovation by exploring new chemical spaces and identifying previously unknown drug targets.
Intuitive search, driven by natural language processing (NLP), is set to transform how researchers and healthcare professionals access information in 2025. Currently, conducting clinical trial research or literature reviews often involves manual, time-consuming searches.
By understanding the nuances of both human language and complex scientific terminology, intuitive search engines can deliver more accurate, relevant results—even from incomplete queries or those with medical abbreviations and specialised terms.
Companies like Ginkgo Bioworks are using generative AI enterprise search to tap into their extensive codebase, which includes both labelled and unlabelled data.
With search technology, Ginkgo can efficiently pinpoint relevant data from past experiments and academic research. This approach enhances their ability to access critical information quickly, which is invaluable for launching new programs and driving research forward.
With intuitive search, researchers will be able to use natural language to locate relevant studies, identify similar compounds, and stay updated on the latest advancements in their fields. This enhanced capability will not only accelerate research workflows but also facilitate new discoveries by making critical information accessible more quickly and efficiently.
Ultimately, this technology will enable life sciences professionals to harness vast knowledge repositories, supporting faster innovation and more informed decision-making across the industry.
Today, an increasing number of patients take an active role in managing their healthcare decisions. Consumers expect life sciences companies to equip them with accessible tools and resources to help them make informed choices.
Gen AI-powered chatbots, and virtual assistants can engage with patients directly, providing educational information about conditions, treatment options, and how to find support services.
Additionally, gen AI can help life sciences companies tailor communications to specific patient needs and preferences, creating a more personalized and engaging experience. By addressing individual concerns and offering relevant guidance, AI-driven customer experiences can foster greater trust and satisfaction, helping companies meet evolving patient expectations.
Over the next three to five years, we’re likely to see increasingly sophisticated applications of AI across the life sciences, which have the potential to drive faster drug development, deliver more personalized treatments, and ultimately improve patient outcomes.
I believe the technology to power a fully AI-driven drug discovery process may already exist today. However, realising its full potential will require the industry to continue its strong focus on ethical considerations, data privacy, and cross-industry collaboration.
To ensure that AI advancements benefit all stakeholders, it is essential to prioritise building trust across the industry through education, transparency, and close partnerships with regulatory bodies. By working together, we can create a future where personalised medicines and proactive healthcare become the new standard.
Other Aspect Publishing Titles

Copyright © 2024 Aspect Publishing Ltd

source

Publié le Laisser un commentaire

2024 The Year Of Crypto: From Bitcoin ETFs To Memecoins – Forbes

Cryptocurrency on trading app, Bitcoin BTC with altcoin digital coin crypto currency, BNB, Ethereum, … [+] Dogecoin, Cardano, defi p2p decentralized fintech market
As the best year in crypto’s history comes to a close, it’s worth looking back at how it went and where it leaves us for 2025. BTC led the show this year. It began with the U.S. Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) approving spot bitcoin ETFs from Blackrock, Fidelity, and other top institutions.
Then the fourth Bitcoin Halving happened in April. Options contracts went on spot bitcoin ETFs, catalyzing mass adoption. American and Russian lawmakers proposed strategic bitcoin reserves, and then, the big milestone, bitcoin crossed the much-awaited $100,000 mark in early December.
But 2024 wasn’t only about Bitcoin’s success. It was also about key infrastructural upgrades and cutting-edge innovations across Layer-2s, Real-World Assets (RWAs), and Crypto AI. Stablecoins, the the killer app in digital assets delivering the fiat on and off ramps to Web3.0 exploded in 2024 with a number of new issuers and a market cap of over $200 billion, and memecoins had a great run this year, garnering much interest from retail users and investors.
Both retail and institutional interest led to holistic industry growth in 2024, driving new use cases and solving for real-world problems.
Bitcoin ETFs have reached a market cap of over $132 billion, with more than $10 billion inflows since Donald Trump won the American presidential election.
2024 was also about the winds of political change and a new pro-crypto administration in the U.S. The appointment of former PayPal exec David Sacks as AI and crypto czar, and the appointment of former college football player and Republican congressional candidate Bo Hines to the Presidential Council of Advisers for Digital Assets, chaired by Sacks, is helping 2025 to take shape rapidly.
Add Paul Atkins who will become the new SEC Chair role, replacing Gary Gensler who will resign on January 20th, and the anticipated appointment of Brian Quintenz, a16z exec and the crypto policy right hand of former CFTC Commissioner Chris Giancarlo, crypto dad and uber crypto policy czar – the team that delivered the bitcoin future market, and it looks as if the U.S. is positioning to dominate crypto, globally.
Ryan Chow, co-founder and ceo of Solv Protocol, says, The approval of bitcoin ETFs has legitimized the asset class as an institutional grade investment. Besides the incoming liquidity and positive price activity, bitcoin ETFs have increased BTC’s popularity. It’s not surprising that Bitcoin DeFi has attracted more than $3 billion in TVL, despite its nascency.”
Alongside bitcoin, AI emerged as a leading narrative, dominating crypto mindshare with an all-time high of 48 percent by November. Currently, the crypto-AI sector has a market cap of over $34 billion with a strong growth potential.
Tiancheng Xie, co-founder and cto of Polyhedra Network, explained, “AI’s biggest challenges revolve around trust, transparency, and accountability, by utilizing blockchain in-particular zero knowledge proofs we can ensure verifiable data, fair contributor compensation, and a trustless builder ecosystem, which in-turn creates scalable innovation in a more trusted environment.”
According to a16z’s Builder Energy dashboard as well, crypto developers are heavily focussing on AI with over 34 percent of projects using AI in 2024. The dashboard also shows building blockchain infrastructure is the second most popular category this year with over 19 percent builder activity. According to a16z’s Builder Energy dashboard as well, crypto developers are heavily focussing on AI with over 34 percent of projects using AI in 2024. The dashboard also shows building blockchain infrastructure is the second most popular category this year with over 19 percent builder activity.
Ben Wynn, cmo at House of ZK, echoed how infrastructure developments have been a major focus for the industry to increase overall capacity, saying, “Blockchain development continues to grow significantly, with over 23,000 monthly active developers globally in 2024 – a roughly 40 percent annual increase since 2015 – and ZK is growing even faster, with over a 50 percent annual growth over the past four years. ZK deployments have surged from 40 in 2020 to approximately 640 in 2024 – a 16x increase – reflecting its transition from mostly theoretical to more practical use, and it’s becoming widely recognized as the foundation for solving the pressing challenges of scalability, privacy, interoperability, and more.
“Its potential to transform every facet of blockchain is clear and, with adoption quickly accelerating, we expect developer activity in ZK to grow exponentially in the coming years”
Overall, infrastructural improvements on the back-end are having a big positive effect in onboarding new users to crypto.
In September 2024, a record-breaking 220 million wallet addresses interacted with a blockchain at least once, the highest ever in crypto’s history. On average, there are 30-60 million monthly active crypto users currently, or around 5-10 percent of the 617 million global crypto owners.
The surge in on-chain interactions has been primarily driven by Solana, NEAR, and Base. Interestingly, Solana and Base also lead the list of chains in builder interest. Meanwhile Base, with a 10.7 percent builder interest, has some of the most popular memecoin projects like Brett and Goose.run driving user adoption.
Memecoins are now a $130 billion industry, despite all the controversies surrounding this asset class. Many analysts consider the sudden rise of memecoins in 2024 as a speculative fad and aberration, with others considering it the epitome of digital culture and successfully leveraging speculation as a use case. As Riva Tez of LayerZero Labs said at Consensys 2024, memes have helped crypto win the “narrative war”.
Likewise, Momin Saqib, Brett ambassador, emphasized the memecoin narrative while noting, “Memecoins capture the spirit of the internet—playful, inclusive, and dynamic while their communities provide a rare sense of belonging in a day and age where loneliness is an epidemic in modern society. Brett for me stands out as a beacon of connection—uniting people through humor, vibrant communities, and shared experiences. It has become a movement that transforms digital engagement into joy, purpose, and inclusivity, all while driving real-world impact through its inspiring charitable initiatives in water and education.”
Besides community formation, Ryan, core contributor of Goose.run, explained how memecoins create novel wealth-generating opportunities saying, “By monetizing meme’s virality, memecoins have shown how speculation can be a utility in itself. If memecoins, however, stay isolated in speculative trading, they’ll miss out on enormous untapped liquidity. It’s important to create a sub-sector of Meme Finance (MemeFi) to leverage memecoins in DeFi to maximize their use cases.”
Despite not being blue chip assets, memecoins are the second-most popular category dominating market narrative mindshare. Drew Cohen, marketing lead of GME on Ethereum, considers the spectacular success of memecoins as a revolt against VC-backed coins.
Cohen explains, “Retail investors don’t have free and fair entry points for VC-backed tokens because the coins already have high valuations at launch. Memecoins create an equitable opportunity for everyone that challenges the VCs as gatekeepers of crypto finance. Thus, memecoins give power back to the masses.”
Hatu Sheikh of Ape Terminal, also emphasizes the importance of retail investors in the crypto economy saying, “No industry can flourish until the general public invests in your projects. After all, institutional investors can only do so much. Protocols need to have a strong and diverse user base who will invest and become your most vocal marketing support in the long run.”
As 2024 draws to a close, we see a simultaneous rise in bitcoin, infrastructure investment, institutional liquidity, and memecoings. Perhaps for the first time in fifteen years, there’s no one winner – in 2024, everyone’s a winner – this time, it is appears very different.

One Community. Many Voices. Create a free account to share your thoughts. 
Our community is about connecting people through open and thoughtful conversations. We want our readers to share their views and exchange ideas and facts in a safe space.
In order to do so, please follow the posting rules in our site’s Terms of Service.  We’ve summarized some of those key rules below. Simply put, keep it civil.
Your post will be rejected if we notice that it seems to contain:
User accounts will be blocked if we notice or believe that users are engaged in:
So, how can you be a power user?
Thanks for reading our community guidelines. Please read the full list of posting rules found in our site’s Terms of Service.

source

Publié le Laisser un commentaire

Chrome Browser Extension Hacked, Your Data And Passwords Could Be Exposed – News18

Chrome users rely on extensions for different built-in features and a recent hacking issue will have them worried about their systems and data. The large-scale hacking is going to leave millions exposed, so much that their security authentication could be at risk of these hackers in the next few months. The hacking issue was first discovered and reported by a cybersecurity firm named Cyberhaven whose extension became victim of the same attack.

The cyberattack on extensions have been organised with the help of phishing. The cybersecurity firm was phished into allowing the hackers to access its original tools, and that gave them backdoor access to millions of users who have installed its extensions or more.
Phishing is primarily coercing people to open emails or links with malicious content that can allow the hacker to access data and other entry points into the targeted system. Cyberhaven fell into this dangerous trap and it is likely there are other Chrome extension publishers who faced the wrath of this attack recently.
The developer got an email claiming their Chrome Web Store support will be removed for violating Google’s developer policies. The email had a link which would have fixed the issue, but the firm ended up giving access of its database to the hackers which has prompted the concerns.

Swipe Left For Next Video
Chrome extensions primarily help you enhance the use of the browser with new wallpaper apps, and even AI tools. Using them is not a risk but the hacking news means you need to safeguard how and which of these you have installed.
In case you have the Cyberhaven extension, we suggest you to avoid opening links or emails from unknown senders, or access websites that you have no reason to visit. Also, recheck your accounts and maybe consider using a reliable password manager to secure them.
Latest Blogs

source

Publié le Laisser un commentaire

Best Crypto to Buy Now: Top 10 Cryptocurrencies to Invest in 2025 – CryptoNinjas

By
The best crypto is a digital asset with real-world use cases, an active community, a solid team, cutting-edge technology, and a clear future roadmap. You can choose the best crypto to invest in now based on these factors.
Cryptocurrency is a digital currency that uses cryptography for secure transactions and operates on a decentralized network called blockchain. Simply, it works by allowing you to exchange value directly without the need for intermediaries.
In this guide, we will review the 10 best crypto to buy now. You will know what cryptocurrency is and how it works, and finally, we will leave you with a simple guide on how to get started with cryptocurrency.
Bitcoin is the first-ever cryptocurrency, released in 2009 by a mysterious creator, known by the name Satoshi Nakamoto. Using Bitcoin or BTC, you can send and receive money without any bank or intermediary. It works on the blockchain technology. It’s a public ledger, which is a record of every transaction. This provides a form of transparency and security. 
The network involves a Proof of Work (PoW) mechanism. Although its scarcity and value are due to the capped supply of 21 million coins, Bitcoin’s mining process is quite energy-consuming. Also, it has been known for issues such as slower transaction speed and high fees during high usage periods. Despite the issues, Bitcoin is the most recognized and influential cryptocurrency.
Ethereum is a blockchain platform launched in July 2015 by Vitalik Buterin. But, unlike Bitcoin, it is not solely a digital currency; it is a source of decentralized apps (dApps) driven by smart contracts. These contracts automatically perform transactions when conditions are satisfied, meaning that they don’t need any intermediary. 
Ethereum began using Proof of Work (PoW), but in 2022, it migrated to a greener Proof of Stake (PoS) system with “The Merge” update. PoS methods involve validators who stake Ether (ETH) for securing the network, and Ether is also used to pay for transactions and other computational services. Ethereum is generally the backbone of many DeFi platforms and NFTs. But, high fees and network congestion have posed problems.
Solana is a fast blockchain that was launched in 2020, specifically for scalability and low fees. It works on Proof of History, which timestamps transactions. Currently, it processes transactions at speeds of up to 65,000 tps. That means Solana is quite faster than most blockchains, including Ethereum. 
You can use Solana for DeFi, NFTs, and gaming applications. And recently, it has been popular among memecoin traders. This is because developers and projects love its efficiency and low costs. But, the network has had some reliability issues, such as outages, that make users question its long-term sustainability. Still, Solana keeps growing and attracting innovative projects.
Avalanche is another similar platform that was launched in September 2020. It is fast and customizable. Its unique consensus mechanism combines Proof of Stake (PoS) with Avalanche consensus. This helps in confirming thousands of transactions per second. 
On the working side, Avalanche has three integrated chains: X-Chain for creating and trading assets, C-Chain for smart contracts, and last, P-Chain for coordinating validators and creating subnets. And, its token AVAX is used for fees, staking, and governance on the network. Avalanche’s flexibility attracts many DeFi projects and enterprise solutions.
Binance Coin (BNB) is the backbone of the Binance exchange ecosystem, launched in 2017. It was originally built on Ethereum but later moved to Binance’s own blockchain, BNB Smart Chain. The good part, the low fees and fast processing capabilities make the BNB chain best for dApps. 
It uses a Proof of Staked Authority (PoSA) system. You can use BNB to pay fees for transactions, join token sales on Launchpad, and more in the Binance ecosystem. Binance also burns BNB tokens to reduce its supply and support its value. Its growth reflects Binance’s success as a leading crypto trading platform.
XRP is a cryptocurrency developed by Ripple Labs in 2012. It allows for fast and low-cost international payments. Most cryptocurrencies depend on traditional blockchain mining; but, XRP is different because it uses the Ripple Protocol Consensus Algorithm, where a network of trusted validators agrees on transaction validity. 
So, such a design allows XRP to process transactions in just a few seconds, which is quite appealing for cross-border payments. But, it has had regulatory hurdles, especially in the United States, with its status as a security being an open question. Despite the regulatory hurdles, XRP is still among the highest by market capitalization.
Chainlink is a decentralized oracle network. It interfaces smart contracts with real-world data. As we know, smart contracts operate with external information such as market prices or other data for the execution of agreements. In specific, Chainlink provides this data with its network of oracles. 
It selects the appropriate oracles based on their reputation system and aggregates data received from multiple sources to offer enhanced accuracy. 
Dogecoin is another digital currency that initially began as a joke. Initially, its logo was featured with the popular “Doge” meme, related to the Shiba Inu dog. But, it soon gained popularity in its community. 
It is a decentralized network running on a Proof of Work (PoW) consensus mechanism similar to Bitcoin, in which miners solve complex mathematical problems to validate transactions and secure the network. Dogecoin is commonly used as a means of tipping online content creators and has been used in a number of charitable initiatives. 
Toncoin is the native cryptocurrency of The Open Network (TON). It is a decentralized blockchain platform originally developed by Telegram. But, Telegram, faced with a series of legal challenges that stopped its further participation in the venture, left it to an open-source community. 
The TON system is PoS-based. Validators make new blocks and confirm transactions according to the amount of TON that they hold and stake as a form of collateral. Its design allows fast and safe payments with very low transaction fees. The platform is currently looking to create a system for decentralized storage, services, and payment processing.
Sui is another blockchain platform, similar to Solana, designed to make digital transactions faster and more affordable.  A unique feature of Sui is its use of the Move programming language.  Sui also uses a delegated proof-of-stake (DPoS) mechanism to validate transactions.
Also, Sui processes transactions simultaneously instead of one by one. This means that it can process multiple transactions at the same time, making it faster and more scalable. The cryptocurrency used on the platform is called SUI. It is used for paying transaction fees, participating in staking, and influencing decisions about the future of the platform.
Cryptocurrency is digital money that exists solely in the online world. It doesn’t have physical coins or bills, unlike the cash you have in your wallet. The primary concept of cryptocurrency is based on blockchain technology to ensure security and decentralization; in other words, no company, bank, or government can control it.
Cryptocurrencies operate on a system referred to as blockchain. Its specialness is that it is shared across many computers around the world, meaning that it is almost impossible to change or hack it. Also, it’s transparent, meaning anyone can view the transactions, even though he or she may not know who made them.
So, how does cryptocurrency work?
Cryptocurrencies rely on cryptography. Now, each transaction is verified by a network of computers called miners, who solve complex problems confirming the transaction. Then that transaction is added to the blockchain.
Assume that you send some Bitcoin to your friend. Now, this transaction gets recorded on the blockchain. No one can undo it or double-spend the same Bitcoin because of how the blockchain is designed.
The best use cases or applications of cryptocurrencies are:
Yes, cryptocurrency can be a good investment, but it’s also quite risky. The prices can go up and down by a lot in a matter of minutes. The good part is that cryptocurrency has the potential to make huge returns in a bull market. You can earn a lot if you buy the right coin at the right time. Also, the value could go up with more and more people and businesses adopting it.
But there are risks, too. Cryptocurrencies are not regulated like stocks so there is less protection. And since prices rely on demand, news, and trends, they cannot be predicted. Another concern is that some coins may prove to be scams or are just total failures.
So, to decide if it’s a good investment, think about these: are you willing to take the risk? Can you afford to lose the money you’re investing? And do you understand how it works?
Step 1: Choosing a Cryptocurrency Exchange
The first step is to select a reputable cryptocurrency exchange platform. This is where you’ll buy and sell cryptocurrencies. You can research different types of exchanges, comparing factors like fees, security features, available cryptocurrencies, and user interface. The best way to buy crypto right now is by using centralized crypto exchanges like Binance, Bybit, MEXC, Bitget, and Coinbase.
You can also check out our list of recommended best crypto exchanges. For this guide, we will learn how to use Binance to buy crypto like BTC, ETH, etc. It is one of the best crypto trading and investing platforms in the world. The exchange is built with various technical indicators to analyze the market for investors. Plus, you can use our referral code “GXNZ5EL1” to enjoy $100 in welcome rewards when you sign up.
User Score
10
Exclusive Benefits
$100 Trading Fee Rebate
Permanent 10% Reduced Trading Fee
choosing-a-cryptocurrency-exchange
Step 2: Create an Account and Complete KYC
Now, you need to create an account on Binance. Provide your key details like your email address, phone number, and a strong password. Also, complete the ID verification to ensure regulatory compliance. You will need to submit details like an ID proof, address, driving license or passport, and a selfie.
create-an-account-and-complete-kyc
Step 3: Deposit Funds in Your Account
To buy cryptocurrency, you’ll need to deposit funds into your exchange account. It supports various payment methods including credit cards, debit cards, bank transfers, and 100+ local payment methods through the P2P marketplace.
deposit-funds-in-account
Step 4: Buy Cryptocurrency or Bitcoin Now
At last, choose the specific cryptocurrency you’re interested in investing in on the exchange platform. Let’s say, you’re looking to buy Bitcoin, search for “BTC” on the exchange, and choose a trading pair like BTC/USDT. Once you’ve found the cryptocurrency, determine the amount you wish to purchase and place your order.
buy-cryptocurrency-or-bitcoin-now
At last, to conclude our guide, the best crypto to buy now are Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, Avalanche, Binance Coin, XRP, Chainlink, Dogecoin, Toncoin, and Sui. Each of them has some unique strengths like fast transactions, smart contract support, or decentralized finance applications. 
Cryptocurrency is a digital currency with the potential for high returns but also comes with some risks like high price volatility and regulatory challenges. So, always invest in crypto wisely and understand how it works. The simplest way to start investing in the crypto markets is to select an exchange, open an account, and deposit funds.
The latest news, articles, and resources, sent to your inbox weekly.
CryptoNinjas is a global news and research portal that supplies market and industry information on the cryptocurrency space, bitcoin, blockchains. CryptoNinjas aims to expand knowledge and understanding of the cryptocurrency and blockchain space.
The latest news, articles, and resources, sent to your inbox weekly.

source