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The importance of sustainability: Why eco-friendly blockchains are the future

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As more and more decentralized applications (DApps), such as GameFi, DeFi, NFTs, and more, are being developed, heated discussions about the environmental impact of blockchain and cryptocurrency have reignited once more. Especially after China’s crackdown on cryptocurrency mining activities, public debates about blockchain and crypto-related energy consumption rates have reached a climax.

Proof of Work’s environmental impact

Since the birth of Bitcoin, the Proof of Work (PoW) consensus mechanism has always been fundamental to the security of blockchain networks. This consensus is reached through computing power, commonly referred to as hash rate.

Over time as blockchain technology is being adopted by the world, the energy consumption rate of the entire blockchain network has skyrocketed, leading to significant environmental costs. The University of Cambridge estimates that Bitcoin mining consumes about 130 TWh per year, accounting for about 0.1% of the world’s total primary energy consumption.

As far as DApp development is concerned, energy consumption-related environmental issues are mostly derived from Ethereum mining, since Ethereum is a PoW blockchain with the largest ecosystem full of projects in varying sizes. With the recent London hard fork, the transition to Ethereum 2.0-a complete Proof of Stake (PoS) blockchain, will be completed as early as 2022. As a result, the current energy consumption per transaction on Ethereum is about 35 kWh, which is equivalent to the energy consumption of a single person in developing countries for 3 days.

The true cost of DApp transactions

While mass crypto adoption is happening around the world, DApps and their applicability will eventually catch up. New projects such as wealth management applications, lending platforms, decentralized exchanges (DEX), NFT-inspired metaverses, and more, that are gradually taking over social media and our lives are the ultimate proof. If you have been paying attention to what’s happening around you, the crypto community’s passion and loyalty towards decentralized, immutable technology are clearly reflected in the real world.

That is certainly good news for crypto enthusiasts, but for the environment, it’s an entirely different story. Take NFTs for example. Memo Atken, a digital artist and engineer, estimates that the true cost of an NFT is much higher than a typical energy consumption of a transaction on Ethereum (35 kWh). He believes that NFT-related transactions will cost much more because all NFTs have to be minted and exchanged multiple times on the blockchain.

He is certainly correct. In fact, an NFT’s creation and distribution do not only consist of a simple mint and sale process. There will be many subsequent transactions made by collectors and traders, which makes the average carbon footprint of each NFT close to 340kWh (an average of 211 kg of CO2), equivalent to a single person’s energy consumption in a developed country for more than a month.

Why eco-friendly blockchains are favored by developers

In early 2021, several public blockchains underwent considerable ecosystem expansion, such as ThunderCore, Solana, Polkadot, and Binance Smart Chain. These blockchains’ ecosystems are in full bloom, as decentralized projects like DAOs, Oracles, Token Bridges, DeFi protocols, NFT marketplaces, blockchain games, and more, are being deployed consistently. There are many reasons for the expansion of these networks, but one thing they all have in common is that none of them utilize a PoW consensus mechanism (meaning zero physical mining facilities are used). Instead, novel mechanisms, such as PoS, that allow on-chain staking and other models to replace PoW are applied.

Among them, the ThunderCore blockchain uses the state-of-the-art PoS consensus mechanism, PaLa, which not only solves the “scalability trilemma”, but also supports the chain’s entire ecosystem with cheap renewable energy. ThunderCore is an eco-friendly public blockchain, and its CO2 emissions, resulting from on-chain transactions, are reduced by more than 10,000x. For example, its block creation does not require the support of large amounts of energy resources like Bitcoin and Ethereum do. ThunderCore is also EVM compatible, which allows the rapid migration and deployment of Ethereum projects. With low gas fees (<$0.00001), sub-second confirmations, and 4,000+ TPS, ThunderCore has become a platform favored by developers from the world over.

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Jia Signs Netbank as First Institutional Partner, Opening Its SME Lending Infrastructure to Banks and Lenders

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Los Angeles, United States, July 16th, 2026, FinanceWire

Proven on US$20M in Philippine SME loans with a sub-3% NPL rate, Jia’s AI underwriting infrastructure Ossicone is now available for banks, cooperatives and lending companies to deploy under their own brand 

Jia, a financial platform serving businesses across emerging markets, today announced a landmark partnership with Netbank, a bank regulated by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, marking the first time Jia has opened its lending infrastructure to an outside institution. As part of the partnership, Netbank has extended Jia a $2 million credit facility, Jia’s first institutional credit facility in the Philippines, to fund working capital loans for up to 500 SMEs over the next 12 months, and is powering Jia Accounts, a new business banking product for Philippine SMEs that lets borrowers receive funds and manage repayments in a single regulated flow

The partnership is the latest milestone in Jia’s expansion from lender to platform. Since 2022, Jia has originated more than US$20 million in SME loans in the Philippines with a non-performing loan rate below 3% and zero write-offs, against an industry average of 10% to 15%. That track record was built lending to the businesses most institutions overlook such as retailers, distributors, and inventory-heavy companies with proven order flow and a history of repayment, underserved not by their own performance but by the limitations of conventional credit assessment.

At the center of Jia’s infrastructure is Ossicone, its proprietary AI underwriting engine. Ossicone reads the documents that define how emerging market businesses actually operate – purchase orders, supplier invoices, delivery receipts – and returns a credit decision in under 30 minutes at 97% accuracy. No public training set exists for how Philippine SMEs trade, pay, and borrow. Jia has spent three years building one, sharpened by every loan on its book. With Jia Accounts now live, real-time cashflow data feeds directly into Ossicone’s models, compounding its accuracy over time.

SMEs across emerging markets face an estimated US$8 trillion credit gap that legacy banks are structurally unable to close. Jia is now making the infrastructure it built and proved on its own balance sheet available to the banks, cooperatives, and lending companies that want to close it. Through Ossicone via API and a white-label product, any financial institution can deploy Jia’s accounts, underwriting, and capital connectivity under its own brand, without rebuilding core infrastructure. Netbank is the first institution to build on that infrastructure — pairing the banking rails behind Jia Accounts with Ossicone-powered underwriting — validating a model Jia is now extending to banks, cooperatives, and lending companies across the region.

“Every emerging market has thousands of businesses growing fast, paying on time, and waiting for a bank that can see them clearly,” said Zach Marks, CEO of Jia. “We spent three years building the infrastructure to do that and proving it on our own balance sheet. Now we’re opening it to other institutions, because the opportunity is too large for any one lender to capture alone.”

“There is no public dataset for Philippine SME financial documents. That’s the moat,” said Krizanne Ty, President and Country Head at Jia Philippines. “Every loan has sharpened Ossicone’s accuracy, and now that businesses bank with Jia, their live cashflow feeds directly into the models — making them better for every SME on our book and every institution building on our platform.”

Financial institutions interested in deploying Jia’s infrastructure can reach the team at partners@jia.xyz

About Jia

Jia is the financial operating system for emerging market businesses, combining business banking, AI-powered underwriting, and capital connectivity in a single platform. Validated on its own live loan book in the Philippines since 2022, Jia now makes the same infrastructure available for banks, cooperatives, and lending companies to deploy under their own brand. Jia is led by a team that has scaled fintech businesses and managed more than US$10 billion in assets across emerging markets, and is backed by leading global fintech investors. Users can learn more at jia.xyz.

Contact

Partner
Maggie Philbin
VSC for Jia
press@jia.xyz

About Author

Disclaimer: The views, suggestions, and opinions expressed here are the sole responsibility of the experts. No Digi Observer journalist was involved in the writing and production of this article.

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Press Release

Jia Signs Netbank as First Institutional Partner, Opening Its SME Lending Infrastructure to Banks and Lenders

Published

on

Los Angeles, United States, July 16th, 2026, FinanceWire

Proven on US$20M in Philippine SME loans with a sub-3% NPL rate, Jia’s AI underwriting infrastructure Ossicone is now available for banks, cooperatives and lending companies to deploy under their own brand 

Jia, a financial platform serving businesses across emerging markets, today announced a landmark partnership with Netbank, a bank regulated by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, marking the first time Jia has opened its lending infrastructure to an outside institution. As part of the partnership, Netbank has extended Jia a $2 million credit facility, Jia’s first institutional credit facility in the Philippines, to fund working capital loans for up to 500 SMEs over the next 12 months, and is powering Jia Accounts, a new business banking product for Philippine SMEs that lets borrowers receive funds and manage repayments in a single regulated flow

The partnership is the latest milestone in Jia’s expansion from lender to platform. Since 2022, Jia has originated more than US$20 million in SME loans in the Philippines with a non-performing loan rate below 3% and zero write-offs, against an industry average of 10% to 15%. That track record was built lending to the businesses most institutions overlook such as retailers, distributors, and inventory-heavy companies with proven order flow and a history of repayment, underserved not by their own performance but by the limitations of conventional credit assessment.

At the center of Jia’s infrastructure is Ossicone, its proprietary AI underwriting engine. Ossicone reads the documents that define how emerging market businesses actually operate – purchase orders, supplier invoices, delivery receipts – and returns a credit decision in under 30 minutes at 97% accuracy. No public training set exists for how Philippine SMEs trade, pay, and borrow. Jia has spent three years building one, sharpened by every loan on its book. With Jia Accounts now live, real-time cashflow data feeds directly into Ossicone’s models, compounding its accuracy over time.

SMEs across emerging markets face an estimated US$8 trillion credit gap that legacy banks are structurally unable to close. Jia is now making the infrastructure it built and proved on its own balance sheet available to the banks, cooperatives, and lending companies that want to close it. Through Ossicone via API and a white-label product, any financial institution can deploy Jia’s accounts, underwriting, and capital connectivity under its own brand, without rebuilding core infrastructure. Netbank is the first institution to build on that infrastructure — pairing the banking rails behind Jia Accounts with Ossicone-powered underwriting — validating a model Jia is now extending to banks, cooperatives, and lending companies across the region.

“Every emerging market has thousands of businesses growing fast, paying on time, and waiting for a bank that can see them clearly,” said Zach Marks, CEO of Jia. “We spent three years building the infrastructure to do that and proving it on our own balance sheet. Now we’re opening it to other institutions, because the opportunity is too large for any one lender to capture alone.”

“There is no public dataset for Philippine SME financial documents. That’s the moat,” said Krizanne Ty, President and Country Head at Jia Philippines. “Every loan has sharpened Ossicone’s accuracy, and now that businesses bank with Jia, their live cashflow feeds directly into the models — making them better for every SME on our book and every institution building on our platform.”

Financial institutions interested in deploying Jia’s infrastructure can reach the team at partners@jia.xyz

About Jia

Jia is the financial operating system for emerging market businesses, combining business banking, AI-powered underwriting, and capital connectivity in a single platform. Validated on its own live loan book in the Philippines since 2022, Jia now makes the same infrastructure available for banks, cooperatives, and lending companies to deploy under their own brand. Jia is led by a team that has scaled fintech businesses and managed more than US$10 billion in assets across emerging markets, and is backed by leading global fintech investors. Users can learn more at jia.xyz.

Contact

Partner
Maggie Philbin
VSC for Jia
press@jia.xyz

About Author

Disclaimer: The views, suggestions, and opinions expressed here are the sole responsibility of the experts. No Digi Observer journalist was involved in the writing and production of this article.

Continue Reading

Press Release

Nova Junk marks 20 years of eco-friendly junk removal in the Washington DC area

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Nova Junk, a family-owned junk removal company based in Alexandria, Virginia, celebrates two decades of responsible hauling, recycling, and donation services across the Washington DC metro region.

Washington, United States, 16th Jul 2026 – Nova Junk, a locally owned junk removal company serving Washington, DC, Northern Virginia, and Maryland, is marking its 20th year in business. Founded on September 11, 2005, according to information published on the company website, the company has grown from a two-person family operation into a multi-service hauling company with a team that includes extended family members and long-tenured employees.

Nova Junk provides junk removal, estate cleanouts, office cleanouts, construction debris removal, yard debris hauling, shed removal, hot tub disposal, and labor-only services, according to the company website. The company serves communities throughout the Washington DC metro area, including Alexandria, Fairfax, Arlington, Bethesda, Montgomery County, and Prince George County.

A distinguishing feature of Nova Junk’s operating model is its three-stage disposal process: donate, recycle, and landfill. According to information published on the company website, the team sorts through all collected material, first setting aside items that can be donated to local charities and then separating recyclable materials such as batteries, printers, and refrigerators. Only the remainder goes to the landfill, and the company states that it typically sends just one third of collected material to the dump.

The company is licensed and fully insured, according to the company website, and places a strong emphasis on punctuality and transparent pricing. Nova Junk states that final charges are adjusted downward when a load turns out to be smaller than estimated, a policy highlighted repeatedly in customer reviews published on the company website.

“We started this company as a family and grew it the same way – by treating every customer’s home and business the way we would want ours treated,” said Norman Elbekri, Co-founder at Nova Junk. “After 20 years we are still committed to the same values we started with: honest pricing, responsible disposal, and service that people can count on.”

Nova Junk serves both residential and commercial clients. Services extend to de-cluttering and hoarding solutions, moving and foreclosure cleanouts, and demolition site cleanup. The company operates from two locations – 2000 Duke Street in Alexandria, Virginia and Smoketown Road in Woodbridge, Virginia – and can be reached at novajunk.com.

About Nova Junk

Nova Junk is a family-owned junk removal company founded in 2005, serving Washington, DC, Northern Virginia, and Maryland. The company provides residential and commercial hauling, estate cleanouts, construction debris removal, and specialty services including shed and hot tub removal. Nova Junk is committed to responsible disposal through a donate-recycle-landfill approach that minimizes landfill impact. Learn more at https://www.novajunk.com

Media Contact

Organization: Nova Junk

Contact Person: Norman Elbekri Co-founder

Website: https://www.novajunk.com/

Email:
info@novajunk.com

City: Washington

Country:United States

Release id:47175

The post Nova Junk marks 20 years of eco-friendly junk removal in the Washington DC area appeared first on King Newswire. This content is provided by a third-party source.. King Newswire makes no warranties or representations in connection with it. King Newswire is a press release distribution agency and does not endorse or verify the claims made in this release. If you have any complaints or copyright concerns related to this article, please contact the company listed in the ‘Media Contact’ section

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Disclaimer: The views, suggestions, and opinions expressed here are the sole responsibility of the experts. No Digi Observer journalist was involved in the writing and production of this article.

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