Human rights investigators appointed by the United Nations (UN) have confirmed war crimes have been committed by Russian forces in Ukraine. A report developed by the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine was created in March 2022 to provide a framework for UN human rights investigators to report war crimes in the region. Erik Møse, chair for the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine, stated in the UN’s article that “investigators visited 27 towns and settlements and interviewed more than 150 victims and witnesses.” Møse also noted that “sites of destruction, graves, places of detention and torture, as …

Since 2019, Swiss financial crypto intermediaries have required proof of ownership of an external wallet's address for Bitcoin withdrawals and deposits to their customers' non-custodial wallets. One automated mechanism used for this is the Address Ownership Proof Protocol, or AOPP. The Trezor hardware wallet introduced AOPP singing as part of its latest January update last week, allowing users to generate signatures that conform to the AOPP standard used in certain jurisdictions. Today, Trezor announced that it will remove this protocol in the next Trezor Suite update "after careful consideration of recent feedback." Recent feedback refers to Reddit and Twitter users …

The Republic of Palau and blockchain development firm Cryptic Labs announced the launch of the Root Name System (RNS), a digital residency program on Tuesday. To inaugurate the partnership between Palau, Cryptic Labs and the sovereign-backed digital residency program, Palau’s President Surangel S. Whipps Jr. signed an agreement to grant “all global users” digital residency through the RNS under the country’s Digital Residency Act. The Republic of Palau is located in the western Pacific Ocean and consists of about 340 islands inhabited by 18,221 residents. President Whipps said: “Our Digital Residency Program will have capacity for internationally recognized standards of …

The government of Gibraltar, a British territory at the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula, has started a pilot program aimed at utilizing blockchain technology to store official credentials on its systems. In a Tuesday announcement, Her Majesty's Government of Gibraltar said it had partnered with Mexico-based cryptocurrency exchange Bitso and IOVlabs, a startup that develops financial solutions based on the Bitcoin (BTC) blockchain, to integrate blockchain technology into its eGov system. The initial phase of the integration will allow users to store state-issued and certified credentials on its servers in an effort for residents and location organizations to have …

Many nonfungible token marketplaces are allowing digital collectors to identify artwork based on the wallet address of the creator through a partnership with software giant Adobe. In an Oct. 26 announcement, Adobe said it would be partnering with major nonfungible token, or NFT, marketplaces including OpenSea, KnownOrigin, and SuperRare to allow users to verify the authenticity of the digital content. Adobe’s Content Credentials can add an NFT creator’s wallet address and social media information to the metadata of tokens listed on the marketplace. "This partnership furthers our commitment to empowering users with more tools as we collectively rethink how we …

The Government of Maharashtra recently announced a partnership with Indian blockchain startup LegitDoc to implement a credentialing system powered by Ethereum to provide tamper-proof diploma certificates. To counter the rise in document forgery, the Maharashtra State Board of Skill Development (MSBSD) opposes India’s crypto ban narrative of using Ethereum-based public blockchains. In an exclusive statement with Cointelegraph, LegitDoc CEO Neil Martis highlighted that while the certificates are verified using traditional manual methods, MSBSD will start advocating only the digital verification method for all the manual verification requests starting next year. Showcasing interest from other local government authorities, Martis added: “We …

The latest product from IoTeX, a privacy-focused platform for the Internet of Things, reportedly brings the concept of a smartphone’s trusted execution environment with real-world data to the crypto space. Head of business development at IoTeX Larry Pang told Cointelegraph that the firm’s Pebble Tracker, a device capable of recording and encrypting data from the physical world, offers a new way to bring data ownership to users. Pebble Tracker is reportedly able to capture data including location, temperature, air quality, motion, and even light levels and record it securely for a variety of blockchain-related applications. The technology is aimed at …

Waves Enterprise, a major technology company specializing in blockchain-based solutions for businesses and governments, has inked a new partner to streamline its e-voting service. According to a Dec. 16 announcement, Waves Enterprise has signed a memorandum of understanding with blockchain platform Ontology to integrate decentralized identification tools into the Waves Enterprise e-voting system. As part of the partnership, Waves Enterprise and Ontology aim to solve one of the biggest challenges of digital voting — user authentication and identification. The companies specifically plan to apply Ontology’s new decentralized identity solution known as ONT ID. Artem Kalikhov, chief product officer at Waves …

As the United States continues to actively embrace blockchain, more new blockchain-powered products supported by national organizations continue to mature. CULedger, a major fintech firm coordinated by an American national trade association, has commercially launched its blockchain identity platform. Formerly known as MyCUID, CULedger’s blockchain-based identity verification solution MemberPass is now commercially available after a successful pilot in late 2019, CULedger announced on Feb. 21. Credit union members can use safe blockchain-based ecosystem to protect their privacy As a major credit union service organization (CUSO), CULedger aims to provide a trusted peer-to-peer services network of verifiable exchange for financial cooperatives. …

The Chamber of Industry and Commerce of Munich and Upper Bavaria, Germany, will issue its first blockchain-enabled training certificates next spring in cooperation with the Digital Ministry. In the future, employers will be able to determine whether the certificates are genuine with the help of an electronic key. Authentication Stamp “Made in Bavaria” According to a press release from Nov. 20 from the Minister of State for Digital Affairs, employers will use an electronic key to verify the authenticity of certificates using blockchain technology. The Digital Ministry will create a web application that enables companies to verify the authenticity of …