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Lumino Ceremony: Building the Privacy Protection Infrastructure

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PlatON, a privacy AI computing network which is committed to building a decentralized collaborative artificial intelligence network and global brain, is promoting the democratization of artificial intelligence and establishing a secure general artificial intelligence. The bottom layer of its decentralized privacy protection infrastructure is based on Zero-Knowledge Proof.

What is Zero-Knowledge Proof

Zero-Knowledge Proof is a cryptographic technology to realize privacy protection authentication. The prover needs to make the verifier believe that he knows or owns a message, without disclosing any information about message which is to be confirmed. For example, if the prover wants to prove that he knows the safe box password without revealing it, he can just show some items existing in the safe box that everyone knows.

This process is Zero-Knowledge Proof. The proof needs an initial credible setting (some items existing in the safe box that everyone knows), namely a series of public parameters to help the prover build Zero-Knowledge Proof.

Deficiency of Zero-Knowledge Proof

As a cryptographic technology with both privacy protection and authentication capability, zero-knowledge proof is widely used to realize transaction verification under hidden business details in blockchain. The zero-knowledge proof system applied in the blockchain field is mainly a cryptographic algorithm called “zk-SNARKs”. At present, the existing classic zk-SNARKs algorithms include  GGPR13, PGHR13, Groth16, GM17, and new generation algorithms such as Sonic, Marlin, Plonk, which support updating public parameters. The current version of ZCash, a well-known private cryptographic currency, uses Groth16 algorithm.

From the above “safe box”, we can see that the premise for the correct operation of this kind of algorithm is existing a series of random trusted parameters. However, randomized parameters will not come out of thin air and there is no trusted third party in the blockchain. Parameters created by centralized third parties can be reconstructed in theory, and it is possible to forge proofs, which may destroy the underlying security in PlatON. Imagine that if a specific institution informed the verifier of the storage of the items in the safe box, the institution and the prover could collude and use this secret information to falsify the illusion that the prover knew the safe box password.

Therefore, it is an undoubtedly excellent idea to organize multiple participants to create these randomized parameters through Secure Multi-party Computation. In this process, single party can not reconstruct the parameters any more. Only when this activity is completed safely will the subsequent decentralized application be safe. In fact, ZCash has successfully created system parameters for Groth16 algorithm in November 2017 through its ceremony, Power of Tau.

Lumino, creating secure parameters

In order to prevent the parameters generated by the centralized mode from affecting the underlying security, PlatON started the Secure Multi-party Computation ceremony Lumino on June 21, 2021, last for   60 days. This ceremony is expected to create necessary secure parameters for the Zero-Knowledge Proof protocol.

During the Lumino ceremony, multiple participants carry out several rounds of calculation in the form of a relay, that is to say, the current participant need to use the calculation results of the previous participant as the input of this round, and the calculation output become the calculation input of the next participant as well. After a certain number of rounds, the output of the last participant is the final result of the whole ceremony, namely the system initialization parameters that Plonk thatalgorithm of PlatON will choose. Obviously, the more participants take part in the ceremony, the safer the parameters will be.

As a practical and efficient Zero-Knowledge Proof algorithm, Plonk is commonly used in PlatON projects and communities, which is characterized by a one-time initialization process, that is, running once can be used to deploy multiple applications. Providing necessary initialization parameters for Plonk algorithm through Lumino ceremony means that no one can master the secret information behind the parameters, which can be used to cheat players in the whole system. Lumino ceremony will lay a solid foundation for the security of PlatON.

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Zhariff Zabidi Releases Calibration Intelligence: The Intelligence of Knowing What the Moment Requires

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Engineer and energy-finance professional presents calibration intelligence as the missing link between understanding a situation and choosing the response it requires

Plano, Texas, United States, 10th Nov 2026 – Zhariff Zabidi, a petroleum engineer and author, has released “Calibration Intelligence: The Intelligence of Knowing What the Moment Requires.” The book proposes calibration intelligence as a “missing intelligence” alongside cognitive intelligence (IQ) and emotional intelligence (EQ): the judgment to recognize which response a situation requires, how strongly to apply it and when to change course.

In Zhariff’s framework, cognitive ability supports analysis and problem-solving, while emotional intelligence supports understanding and managing emotions. Calibration intelligence addresses how those abilities are applied in context. A person may understand a problem and recognize the emotions involved, yet still struggle to decide whether to act, wait, persist or reconsider.

“We’re taught to work harder and think smarter, but how do we know when to change our approach?” said Zhariff. “I wrote this book to help readers recognize when a strength has stopped serving them, and to decide what the moment actually calls for.”

The framework draws on Zhariff’s work in petroleum engineering and energy finance, where forecasts depend on assumptions that must be reassessed as evidence changes. A temporary decline in a well’s production does not necessarily justify rewriting its long-term forecast; a financial projection is only as useful as its assumptions about performance and risk. The book brings that attention to context, patterns and changing conditions into everyday decisions.

Yin and Yang provide a practical way to consider complementary responses. Yang emphasizes action, assertion and forward movement; Yin emphasizes receptivity, reflection and restraint. The appropriate balance changes with the situation. A stalled project may require a decisive next step, while a tense conversation may require listening before responding.

Through personal stories and practical frameworks, the book helps readers:

  • Recognize when persistence, patience or confidence starts working against them.
  • Distinguish a temporary setback from a recurring pattern that needs attention.
  • Choose when to act, listen, set a boundary or change direction.

“Discipline and flexibility, ambition and contentment, confidence and humility are all strengths,” Zhariff said. “The skill is knowing which one the moment requires.”

Published October 22, 2026, “Calibration Intelligence” is the first book in the Calibration Intelligence Series and is available on Amazon in hardcover, paperback and Kindle editions. Learn more at zhariffzabidi.com.

About Zhariff Zabidi

Zhariff Zabidi is a Malaysian American author, petroleum engineer, Realtor, investor and entrepreneur based in the Dallas area. He serves as First Vice President–Petroleum Engineer in energy finance. Born in Kuala Lumpur, he holds a bachelor’s degree in petroleum engineering from Texas A&M University and an MBA in finance from the University of Texas at Dallas. The book reflects his personal views, not those of his employers.

Media Contact

Organization: Zhariff Zabidi

Contact Person: Zhariff Zabidi

Website: https://zhariffzabidi.com

Email:
hello@zhariffzabidi.com

Contact Number: +13467707489

Address: 1209 Northridge Dr, Plano, TX 75075

City: Plano

State: Texas

Country: United States

Release id: 50606

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Lainiq Launches Loan Comparison and Calculator Website for Finnish Consumers

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The new Finnish-language site compares offers from 17 Finnish lenders and brokers, calculates what a loan costs each month and in total, and explains the terms behind the price of credit.

Vaala, Finland, 10th Nov 2026 – Lainiq, a Finnish-language loan comparison and loan calculator website for consumers in Finland, launched today. At launch, Lainiq lists 17 lenders and loan brokers, calculates loan costs and covers loan types from consumer loans to boat loans across 60 pages.

Loan types and amounts on dedicated pages

Lainiq organises its comparisons by loan type. The loan types with their own pages and comparison tables include consumer loans (kulutusluotto), quick loans (pikalaina), car loans (autolaina), motorcycle loans (moottoripyörälaina), renovation loans (remonttilaina), boat loans (venelaina), travel loans (matkalaina) and debt consolidation loans (yhdistelylaina). Lainiq also publishes separate pages for loan amounts of 1,000, 2,000, 10,000, 20,000 and 30,000 euros.

Alongside the comparison tables, Lainiq publishes guides on loan types and a glossary of 48 Finnish lending terms.

How the comparison tables are presented

Each comparison table lists the amount range, the repayment term range and the cost figures each lender or loan broker publishes, such as the effective annual rate and the nominal rate. Lainiq shows the lenders and loan brokers side by side and marks each row as either a lender or a loan broker. Users may continue to the lender’s or loan broker’s website to review the application process and final terms.

Lainiq displays a lender’s figures only after they have been checked against the lender’s own published pages; where no checked figure exists, the row refers to the lender’s terms instead. Lainiq’s comparison does not cover every loan available on the Finnish market.

Calculators for loan costs

Lainiq offers calculators including a loan calculator, an interest calculator, a car loan calculator, a mortgage calculator and a student loan calculator. They show monthly payments, interest and the total amount repaid based on the figures the user enters. Lainiq presents every calculator result as an estimate.

About Lainiq

Lainiq is a Finnish-language loan comparison and loan calculator website based in Vaala, Finland. Lainiq lists 17 lenders and loan brokers, calculates loan costs and publishes guides and a glossary of Finnish lending terms. Lainiq does not provide loans or make credit decisions; final eligibility, pricing, terms and credit decisions are determined by the individual lender.

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Organization: Lainiq

Contact Person: Olavi Laine

Website: https://lainiq.fi/

Email:
asiakaspalvelu@lainiq.fi

City: Vaala

Country: Finland

Release id: 50557

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Backed by $80 Million, Alta is Building the Infrastructure to Bring Global Banking Onchain

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San Francisco, CA, USA, November 10th, 2026, Chainwire

New funding will advance institutional-grade blockchain infrastructure built for privacy, compliance, and global connectivity

Alta, a financial infrastructure company building the foundation for the next generation of global finance, today announced it has raised $80 million in total funding, including a $47.5 million Series A round and $32.5 million in previous seed financing. The Series A was led by Index Ventures, with participation from GV (Google Ventures), Blackbird Ventures, Square Peg, and Capital 49.

Alta is building new institutional-grade blockchain infrastructure that enables financial assets and products to move instantly, globally, and programmatically. Unlike existing infrastructure built primarily for crypto-native applications, Alta is designed to meet the privacy, compliance, neutrality, and operational requirements of regulated financial institutions while supporting transactions across assets, chains, and jurisdictions. Its launch comes as regulatory clarity improves and institutional demand for tokenized finance accelerates.

“Existing blockchains aren’t designed for the privacy and compliance requirements of global financial institutions,” said Loong Wang, Co-Founder and CEO of Alta. “We’re taking a fundamentally different approach, building privacy, programmable compliance, and identity and authorization directly into the blockchain. This will enable money and assets to move instantly, globally, and securely, whether it’s a bank settling a transaction or an AI agent making a payment.”

Today’s global financial system is fragmented and still has many areas of inefficiency. Moving money across borders can take days, and institutions must maintain substantial cash buffers to ensure liquidity across jurisdictions and payment networks. An estimated $4 trillion is tied up in prefunded accounts globally. Alta is building a more efficient system, combining instant settlement with global payment connectivity, foreign exchange, and treasury management capabilities. 

At the core of Alta’s technology is a new blockchain architecture built on recursive zero-knowledge cryptography. It enables institutions to keep balances, transactions, identities, and compliance policies private while verifying that transactions meet the required rules. Designed to work across assets, chains, and jurisdictions, Alta combines programmable compliance with the controls and scalability needed for institutional finance and agentic commerce.

“Technology alone won’t be enough to modernize global finance. Financial institutions need infrastructure they can trust, with clear controls over who they’re transacting with, where money can move, and how sensitive information is protected,” said Catherine Porter, Co-Founder and President of Alta. “As AI agents increasingly make financial decisions and execute transactions, that trust becomes even more critical. Privacy, compliance, and accountability just aren’t barriers to innovation – they’re what will allow it to scale.”

Leading financial platform Airwallex has chosen to build on Alta, connecting its global payments infrastructure with Alta’s blockchain technology. In addition to pay-ins and pay-outs via stablecoins, the collaboration will support connectivity to local fiat payment networks across 200 countries and 90 currencies. Alta is designed as neutral infrastructure that banks, payment providers, and other financial institutions can build on.

Alta’s first product will help businesses manage liquidity more efficiently and reduce cash buffers tied up in prefunded accounts. Built on tokenized assets, it will enable just-in-time funding, more efficient foreign exchange, and allow businesses to instantly move in and out of yield-bearing tokenized assets, maximizing the interest earned on otherwise idle capital.

“With the rise of agentic banking and programmable payments, stablecoins are becoming an important vector for settlement. Financial institutions need blockchain infrastructure that is private, neutral, regulated, and connected to global fiat rails. Alta is building exactly that,” said Jack Zhang, Co-Founder of Alta and Co-Founder/CEO of Airwallex. “We’re proud to be an early design partner and help Alta deliver onchain finance at institutional scale.”

Backed by Leading Global Investors

Alta’s investors bring together expertise across financial technology, enterprise infrastructure, and blockchain innovation.

“Loong is the sort of technologist you only meet a few times in a career. After a major fintech exit from his first company, he went on to run the largest supercomputing calculation in history at its time, then discovered a cancer drug now in human trials. With Catherine’s exceptional track record of bringing industry leaders to the table and Jack’s understanding of the problem space, this is a team we had to back,” said Jan Hammer, Partner at Index Ventures.

“The Alta founders have successfully built and scaled multi-billion-dollar technology and financial infrastructure businesses, and understand how to de-risk complex institutional execution. We have been impressed with their combination of deep-tech blockchain engineering, institutional go-to-market knowledge, and vision for scale, and we look forward to supporting them in their mission to reimagine financial infrastructure at its core,” said Tom Hulme, Managing Partner at GV. 

The new funding will support continued development of Alta’s blockchain infrastructure, expansion of its institutional partnerships and global financial connectivity, and growth of its engineering and compliance teams.

About Alta

Alta is building global financial infrastructure for the future of tokenized finance. Combining an institutional-grade blockchain with global payments connectivity, foreign exchange, and treasury capabilities, Alta is creating the foundation for a more efficient, private, compliant, and connected global financial system. Learn more at alta.finance. 

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Bridgett Frey
bridgett@dowling-group.com

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