Banks in Honduras are prohibited from working with cryptocurrencies.

The National Banking and Securities Commission of Honduras has prohibited banks from conducting transactions in digital assets, as well as storing cryptocurrencies. In this regard, the lack of regulation in the crypto regulator results in the Commission not being able to ensure the security of cryptocurrency transactions, since the country does not have a regulatory framework for such operations. Therefore, users of cryptocurrencies and stadium-based financial services may be vulnerable to fraud and must also assume operational and legal risks, including “the possibility of confiscation at any time, as residents cannot use cryptocurrencies for transactions and payment transactions.”

Honduran institutions were also prohibited from working with derivative data based on crypto assets. At the same time, cryptocurrency exchanges are not yet prohibited from operating freely in the country. In 2022, the Central Bank of Honduras warned about cash payments in cryptocurrencies. However, in January of this year, the City of Prospera recognized the need for an estimated flow rate.

 

Bitcoin mixer YoMix replaced the sanctioned Sinbad for North Korean hackers.

The North Korean group Lazarus Group began to actively use the YoMix cryptocurrency mixer after the imposition of sanctions against the Sinbad service. This was reported by the analytical company Chainalysis.

They found that in 2023, the inflow of funds into YoMix increased fivefold. Moreover, about a third of the assets came from wallets associated with the hacking of cryptocurrency platforms.

Lazarus also actively uses cross-chain bridges to launder funds. Last year, $743.8 million in crime-related traffic was sent through them—double the amount in 2022 ($312.2 million).

 

eBay laid off 30% of its Web3 division and shut down its NFT business.

eBay has cut the staff of its Web3 division by a third, including some top managers, and suspended work on NFT integration. NFTgators reports this concerning its sources.

In June 2022, eBay acquired the NFT marketplace KnownOrigin. At that time, the project team stated that the new partner was aimed at integrating innovations, in particular in the field of digital art.

In February 2023, eBay opened several positions for Web3 specialist positions.

According to NFTgators, after the crypto winter, the company’s interest in the new sector faded. Sources of the publication claim that a wave of layoffs swept through the company, which primarily affected the Web3 division.

Among others, director of business and strategy Steph Jay resigned. David Moore, one of the founders of the KnownOrigin project, was also fired.

Many employees expressed dissatisfaction with the current direction of the company, as well as the failed strategy of the new management, the sources noted. In total, up to a third of the staff of the Web3 division were laid off, the publication said.
 

Humanity Protocol with palm identification technology will be launched on the Polygon test net.

On February 20, 2024, Humanity Protocol announced its upcoming launch on the Polygon test net. The project team is working on technology for identifying users by palm.

According to available information, this verification method was developed in partnership with Animoca Brands and Polygon Labs. The founders of Humanity Protocol note that they want to offer users a “less invasive” identification method than scanning the iris of the eyes.

The protocol is based on the Polygon CDK modular software. The project is based on the Proof-of-Humanity (PoH) consensus. It allows the user to prove the authenticity of data without revealing its information.

According to the management of Humanity Protocol, the use of biometric identification of a client by palm will simplify the introduction of the Web3 industry into other areas of human life. In particular, such a solution can be integrated into Web2, the project team believes.

 

Forbes has acquired virtual land in The Sandbox to reignite the metaverse hype.

Forbes announced its entry into The Sandbox metaverse by acquiring virtual land and creating a “luxury pool” for players.

The company envisions the purchased land as a vibrant community hub that will offer a variety of interactive events, workshops, and meetings. While specific details are still unknown, Forbes is already boasting that their virtual environment will feature a "luxury pool, sleek bar, and gallery for honorees under 30 in 2024."

 

Google has suspended image creation through Gemini.

On February 22, Google announced that it was temporarily limiting the ability to generate images of people using its Gemini AI tool. The neural network created illustrations with historical inaccuracies.

According to The Verge, the neural network depicted black Founding Fathers and female US senators from the 1800s, although in reality, they were all white men.

X users also noticed the problem. In one case, the neural network was unable to generate the head of the Catholic Church as a white man.

Recall that in December 2023, Google released Gemini as a global update to the Bard chatbot.

On February 21, 2024, the corporation presented the open AI model Gemma for the responsible development of artificial intelligence.