Opera’s long-awaited web-browser, Reborn 3, which features an integrated cryptocurrency wallet is officially launching today.
According to the announcement, the cryptocurrency wallet in the Opera computer browser syncs with the cryptocurrency wallet in the Opera browser for Android. Opera says that this means wallet keys never leave the users’ smartphone.
In principle, it sounds like a two-factor authentication process. When a user needs to identify themselves or sign a transaction on the blockchain, they will get a notification on their phone. Unlocking the phone with a fingerprint will then confirm said transaction.
Opera first teased of this functionality back in June last year when it added a cryptocurrency wallet to its Android-based web-browser. It made the news somewhat more official in August 2018 when it announced that this wallet would eventually reach desktop browsers .
By September, Opera was testing the wallet with a select group of beta testers.
“Previously this was available only in developer or beta and now all of our users will get access to the cryptocurrency wallet,” an Opera spokesperson told Hard Fork.
Users will also be able to browse blockchain applications by typing their addresses directly into the URL bar, Opera says. There is also a built in virtual private network (VPN) that Opera claims is designed to obscure and protect user data from prying eyes.
Did you know? Hard Fork has its own stage at TNW2019 , our tech conference in Amsterdam. Check it out .
Baltimore didn’t pay Bitcoin ransom so hackers leaked sensitive data on Twitter
Officials investigating the Bitcoin-fueled ransomware attack that hit Baltimore City last month believe the hackers have leaked government documents on Twitter.
A Twitter account claiming to be owned by the hackers appears to have been used to leak the sensitive documents, The Baltimore Sun reports .
The now-suspended account posted a document detailing a woman’s medical history last month, and claimed to have numerous other potentially sensitive documents.
According to reports, the account has been taunting the city’s mayor, Bernard C. “Jack” Young.
No personal data has been stolen in the attack, according to a spokesperson from the mayor’s office.
That said, the hackers‘ Twitter account allegedly messaged a Baltimore Sun reporter claiming to have financial documents and citizens’ personal information. The supposed hacker threatened to leak the documents to the dark web.
What happened?
The ransomware attack began in early May and crippled the computer systems of the local government. Many still remain offline with only one third of Baltimore City employees having had their access restored.
The effects were felt across the city, beyond just government systems. The real estate business had to figure out an old-fashioned workaround after clearing systems were unable to process payments. In one case, home buyers were unable to move in as their property settlement was postponed indefinitely, The Baltimore Sun reported .
The city’s mayor has held firm and continues to refuse to pay the ransom, which was around $76,000 worth of Bitcoin when the attack began.
It’s estimated though, that the attack has cost taxpayers somewhere in the region of $18 million . With that in mind, maybe the mayor should have just paid up, and then gone after the attackers to bring them to justice. But that’s all in hindsight of course.
That said, an investigation by ProPublica found that even industry professionals sometimes just pay the hackers, rather than trying to decrypt compromised hard drives.
Venezuela is buying Bitcoin with airport taxes to smuggle in US dollars, report
Venezuela appears to be leveraging cryptocurrencies as part of a larger effort to bypass US sanctions .
According to an investigation by Spanish newspaper ABC , President Nicolas Maduro and his administration are using a digital wallet app called Jetman Pay to convert tax revenue from one of the country’s main airports into Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies .
The newspaper claims to have unearthed a scheme whereby cryptocurrencies are sent to foreign exchanges in Russia , China , Hong Kong , and Hungary . Once received, the funds are converted into US dollars and sent back to Venezuela .
For the moment, Jetman Pay is only being used by Maiquetia International Airport (IAIM), but Maduro and his government are thought to be holding talks to expand the app ‘s use.
Venezuela ‘s economy has been battling severe hyperinflation for years and cryptocurrency seems to have piqued Maduro ‘s interest in recent times.
Earlier this month, he ordered that every branch of the Banco de Venezuela should let citizens buy and trade El Petro, the state-issued cryptocurrency he’s hoping will provide a much-needed workaround economic sanctions .
El Petro was first introduced last year, after Maduro said on a state-run television channel that it would be used in international transactions starting from October 1, but the cryptocurrency failed to catch on .
Although cryptocurrency is seemingly providing a short-term solution, Venezuela ‘s problems go well beyond what Bitcoin et al. could possibly solve.
