David anticipates that the testnet launch will include all transaction validation and block rules, basic peer-to-peer messaging functionality, syncing, transaction pool, and “the ability to mine blocks.”
On March 1, David Burkett, a developer working on cryptocurrencies Grin (GRIN) and Litecoin (LTC), estimated that privacy protocol Mimblewimble will see a Litecoin testnet release before the end of summer.
In an update to the Mimblewimble (MW) progress thread on Litecointalk.io, Burkett hesitantly predicts that MW will be launched on testnet before September.
“I’ve so far been very hesitant to give exact dates on when things should be finished, because writing blockchain software is difficult, time-consuming, and unpredictable at times. I didn’t want artificial deadlines to force us to rush through parts of the code and introduce defects or security vulnerabilities. Having said that, I think it’s finally time to commit to the first major event.»
Burkett emphasizes that the version will not include a usable graphical interface wallet, and expects that transactions will need to be created manually.
Burket publishes Litecoin Improvement Proposal
The developer has also posted a Litecoin Improvement Proposal to Github, which proposes one-sided MW transactions and includes fixes for bugs discovered since his previous proposal. Despite the progress, David states that there is still “a lot more to do.”
“I’ve made some modifications to the original kernel design to support the ability to soft-fork in new features in the future. I’ve also started to build out the merkle mountain ranges (MMRs), which are a data structure we use to commit to kernels outputs. Once the MMR logic is finished, I should be able to get back to the block validation logic.”
Litecoin partners with Burkett in 2019
During September 2019, The Litecoin Project announced that it had commissioned David Burkett of Grin++ to implement MW support for the Litecoin network. The protocol change was intended to bolster Litecoin’s privacy, with MW slated to facilitate confidential transactions.
MW was revealed to the world in August 2016 when an individual acting under the moniker Tom Elvis Jedusor posted the original MimbleWimble white to paper to a Bitcoin research channel. The presumed author has not posted since.
The protocol is intended to enhance blockchain privacy, scalability, and fungibility. Through a process called CoinJoin, multiple MW transactions are combined into one transaction. As such, MW blocks consist of a list of all input, output, and signature data – obscuring the transaction data for any third-party observers.
While originally envisaged as an upgrade or sidechain to Bitcoin, MW was first implemented in Grin++, which was launched during January 2019.
Cybersecurity took center stage in 2018 and could present an exciting investment opportunity
Cybersecurity has always been a topic of importance for both enterprises and individuals. However, 2018 was riddled with events that highlighted just how crucial an issue it is, following privacy breaches such as the Cambridge Analytica Facebook scandal. With renewed interest in online safety and privacy, cybersecurity stocks are attracting increasing attention in the investment world.
2018 – the year of the hack
The attention to online privacy reached new heights in 2018, following the Cambridge Analytica scandal, which jeopardized the data of some 87 million Facebook users¹. The scandal put in question many of Facebook’s user privacy practices, resulting in Founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifying before Congress. A month later, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) came into effect in the EU, applying new restrictions on any entity that collects personal data.
The dynamics of online security
One of the reasons cybersecurity is and will remain, a hot topic is the ever-changing nature of the online world. With so much sensitive information being stored in the cloud and on computer networks, the risks are ever growing and the need for effective cyberdefenses is ever present. From “simple” risks, such as phishing scams, to complex ransomware programs and crypto mining bots, each person and enterprise with an online presence is in danger of falling victim to a cyber attack.
The cybersecurity industry is huge, estimated at more than $150 billion in 2018, and projected to grow to $230 billion within 4 years². Both companies who specialize in cyber defense and the giants of the tech industry spend billions every year to beef up their defenses and protect their valuable intellectual property and their users’ personal information.
Investing in the cybersecurity industry
As mentioned before, there are two main types of companies that operate in the cybersecurity field. The first type is companies whose exclusive business is developing and implementing cybersecurity solutions, such as Check Point and Symantec. The second type is companies with larger tech or security operations, which also have a substantial presence in the cybersecurity space, such as tech giant IBM and defense and security powerhouse Lockheed Martin.
To offer its clients exposure to this growing industry, eToro has created the CyberSecurity CopyPortfolio. This professionally constructed portfolio will offer investors access to a thematic investment strategy focusing on cybersecurity companies. The portfolio includes companies working to protect commercial entities, private individuals, government and military institutions and more.
