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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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Karunamaya Vesna Blazhevska sets a personal challenge: seven days of small climate action

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New York City, NY, 4th September 2026, ZEX PR WIRE, Karunamaya Vesna Blazhevska has worked within United Nations Sustainable Development communications since 2008. Her work involves helping large, complicated ideas about the environment and international cooperation reach ordinary readers. She has decided to turn some of that thinking into a short, practical challenge that anyone can try, using seven days as the frame.

The idea is simple. Each day points to one Sustainable Development Goal and one small action tied to it. Nothing on the list requires special equipment or money. Blazhevska says she designed it that way on purpose.

“Big goals get people excited for a week and then they quit,” she says. “I wanted something a person could actually keep doing after the challenge ends.”

The seven-day plan

Day 1, climate action. Skip one car or rideshare trip. Walk, bike, or take transit instead.

Day 2, affordable and clean energy. Unplug devices that sit idle overnight. Blazhevska points out that standby power adds up over a year, even if it feels small on any single day.

Day 3, quality education. Spend twenty minutes reading about one environmental topic you do not already understand well. She suggests picking something specific, like ocean plastic or soil health, rather than a broad subject.

Day 4, gender equality. Support or promote the work of a woman colleague or a woman-led project you respect. Blazhevska frames this as a habit of attention, not a one-time gesture.

Day 5, responsible consumption. Try one full meatless day. This is the piece of the challenge closest to her own life. She has been vegetarian since 1991, avoiding meat and fish while still eating cheese, eggs, and yogurt. “I’m not asking anyone to do what I do for thirty-five years,” she says. “I’m asking for one day, to see how it feels.”

Day 6, life below water. Cut back on single-use plastic for the day. Bring a reusable bottle or bag instead of a new one.

Day 7, peace. Have one respectful conversation with someone whose views differ from yours, without trying to change their mind. Blazhevska sees this as connected to her interest in harmony among different faiths and backgrounds. “Peace starts in small exchanges before it shows up anywhere bigger,” she says.

Why she built it around small steps

Blazhevska says her communications work has taught her that people respond to specifics, not slogans. A goal like “protect the climate” is hard to act on directly. Turning off a device or skipping a car trip is not.

She also says the challenge reflects something she has learned from her own long-standing habits. Her vegetarian diet has lasted more than three decades not because she set out to prove something, but because it became ordinary. She hopes the same happens with small climate habits: that they stop feeling like a challenge and become routine.

“None of these seven days ask for something dramatic,” she says. “They ask for something repeatable.”

How to take part

Blazhevska is encouraging people to pick any single day from the list and try it this week, rather than waiting to start all seven at once. She says starting small and staying consistent matters more than doing everything at once.

She also notes the challenge is meant to be shared informally, among coworkers, friends, or community groups, rather than tracked through any formal program. “The point isn’t a certificate,” she says. “The point is that seven habits are easier to keep than one big promise.”

To read the full interview, visit the website here.

About Karunamaya Vesna Blazhevska

Karunamaya Vesna Blazhevska is a Communications Assistant with the United Nations Department of Global Communications, based in New York City. She has worked there since 2008, with a focus on communication tied to sustainable development and international cooperation. She holds a degree in Economics from the Faculty of Economics in Skopje, part of Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in North Macedonia, and grew up in what was then Yugoslavia. She has been a vegetarian since 1991 and has a long-standing interest in spirituality, peace, and harmony among different faiths.

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Ned Curic Highlights Customer-First Approach to Technology and Product Development

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Stellantis technology executive emphasizes practical innovation, integrated engineering and the importance of building technology around real customer needs.

Illinois, CA, 4th September 2026, ZEX PR WIRE, As artificial intelligence, advanced computing and connected technologies become increasingly important to product development, Ned Curic believes the value of innovation should still be measured by a straightforward standard: whether it makes the product better for the person using it.

Curic, who is responsible for Product Development & Technology at Stellantis and is a member of the Stellantis Leadership Team, has spent his career working across engineering, software and automotive technology.

His approach places the customer at the center of technology decisions rather than treating new technology as an objective on its own.

“Technology only matters if it makes life better for people,” Curic has said.

The principle has become increasingly relevant as companies gain access to more powerful artificial intelligence, computing systems and development tools. The challenge is no longer simply whether a technology can be built or incorporated into a product. Companies must determine where it creates meaningful improvements for customers.

Building Technology Around the Product

For the automotive industry, that distinction is especially important.

Modern vehicles bring together mechanical engineering, electronics, computing, software, design, manufacturing and increasingly sophisticated artificial intelligence. Customers, however, experience those individual technologies as one product.

Curic has publicly emphasized the importance of viewing the vehicle as a complete system rather than allowing any individual technology to become the product’s defining purpose.

That philosophy also influences how Stellantis approaches product development.

In February 2025, Stellantis integrated its software activities into the Product Development & Technology organization led by Curic. The company said the change was intended to streamline the process of bringing products and services to market across its brands and markets.

The organizational structure brings technologies that increasingly influence the customer experience closer to the broader engineering and product-development process.

Rather than separating software from the rest of vehicle development, the approach reflects the reality that customers ultimately judge how all parts of a vehicle work together.

From Technical Capability to Customer Value

The rapid development of artificial intelligence provides another example of the distinction between technical capability and practical value.

Stellantis has been exploring AI across areas including engineering, manufacturing, vehicle technology and customer interaction.

Curic has consistently framed those efforts around tangible results.

When Stellantis expanded its collaboration with Mistral AI in 2025, Curic said the companies were exploring applications of artificial intelligence that could enhance product development and the customer experience while delivering real benefits.

That focus places a higher standard on innovation than novelty alone.

A new technology may be technically impressive, but its long-term value depends on whether it can improve quality, simplify an experience, accelerate development, increase capability or address another genuine customer or business need.

The same principle applies as AI becomes a larger part of engineering and product-development workflows.

Technology can help teams analyze information, test ideas, improve development processes and create new experiences. The objective, however, remains the product rather than the technology used to create it.

Innovation Requires Integration

Curic’s perspective has been shaped by a career spanning several technology-intensive industries.

He began his career in Engineering Systems at Northrop Grumman in 1996 before joining Microsoft in 2000, where he held positions in consulting, product, security and advisory functions.

He entered the automotive industry in 2013 as Group Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at Toyota Motor North America. In 2015, he became a co-founder of Toyota Connected, serving as Executive Vice President, Technical Director and Board Member.

Curic joined Amazon in 2017 as Vice President of Alexa Automotive, spearheading the company’s efforts in the automotive industry.

In August 2021, he joined Stellantis as Chief Technology Officer. His responsibilities later expanded to encompass engineering and research and development before Stellantis brought software activities into the Product Development & Technology organization in 2025.

Across those roles, Curic has worked in environments where multiple technologies, teams and disciplines must contribute to a single product or customer experience.

That experience underpins an approach to innovation based on integration rather than technology in isolation.

A Practical Standard for Emerging Technology

The number of technologies available to product-development organizations will continue to grow.

Artificial intelligence is advancing rapidly. Computing capability continues to increase. Development tools are becoming more sophisticated, and vehicles are incorporating increasingly complex electronics and connected functions.

For Curic, those developments do not change the fundamental purpose of technology.

The relevant questions remain practical ones: Does it improve the product? Does it make something easier for the customer? Does it solve a genuine problem? Does it enable an experience that people actually value?

Those questions can also help organizations distinguish lasting innovation from short-term technology trends.

The companies best positioned to benefit from emerging technologies may therefore be those that are most selective about how they use them—integrating technology where it improves the complete product rather than adding capability simply because it is available.

As the automotive industry continues to evolve, Curic’s approach keeps the emphasis on an outcome that is easy to understand even when the technology behind it is increasingly complex: building better products for the people who use them.

About Ned Curic

Ned Curic is responsible for Product Development & Technology at Stellantis and is a member of the Stellantis Leadership Team. He previously served as Vice President of Alexa Automotive at Amazon, Group Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at Toyota Motor North America, and held roles in consulting, product, security and advisory functions at Microsoft. He began his career in Engineering Systems at Northrop Grumman.

Curic studied Informatics and Computer Science and received an MBA from Pepperdine University’s George L. Graziadio School of Business and Management in 2012.

For more information, visit NedCuric.com.

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Publishberry Launches AI-Powered Platform to Automate the Entire Blogging Workflow

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New SaaS platform handles keyword research, content planning, SEO writing, visuals, and CMS publishing in one automated workflow

London, United Kingdom, 4th September 2026, ZEX PR WIRE— Publishberry, an AI-powered blogging and content automation platform, has launched to help businesses research, create, optimize, and publish high-quality blog content more consistently.

Publishberry brings the entire blogging workflow into one platform. After a user enters their website address, the software analyzes the site’s niche, audience, existing content, keyword footprint, and brand voice. It then identifies promising keyword opportunities and creates a tailored editorial calendar based on search demand, competitive gaps, seasonality, and ranking potential.

The platform produces long-form articles with structured headings, metadata, internal links, citations, and relevant visuals. Content can be reviewed and edited before publication, or businesses can enable autopilot to publish approved articles directly to their website according to a chosen schedule.

“Many businesses understand the value of content marketing but struggle to publish consistently,” said Uwe Dreissigacker, co-founder of Publishberry. “Publishberry was created to remove the operational work behind blogging. Instead of coordinating separate tools for research, planning, writing, images, optimization, and publishing, businesses can manage the entire process in one place.”

Uwe Dreissigacker brings nearly two decades of experience in the SEO and link-building industry to Publishberry. He also runs Linkhandy, where he provides bespoke link-building solutions designed to help SaaS and technology companies improve their organic search visibility.

Publishberry is designed for SaaS companies, startups, small businesses, marketing teams, bloggers, and agencies that want to grow organic traffic without building a large internal content operation. The platform can also help agencies manage content production across multiple clients or websites.

Key Publishberry capabilities include:

  • Automated keyword research and competitor-gap analysis

  • Semantic keyword clustering and opportunity prioritization

  • Rolling content calendars based on the user’s publishing frequency

  • Long-form articles written to match an existing brand voice

  • SEO scoring, metadata, schema, citations, and internal linking

  • AI-generated hero images and supporting visuals

  • Editing, rewriting, approval, and team-review workflows

  • Manual or fully automated CMS publishing

  • Content-performance and keyword-rank tracking

  • Support for WordPress, Webflow, Ghost, Shopify, HubSpot, Wix, Drupal, and custom integrations

Publishberry offers three monthly plans. Starter costs $49 per month and includes four articles, Growth costs $99 per month and includes 12 articles, and Scale costs $149 per month and includes 30 articles. A seven-day free trial is available without requiring a credit card.

About Publishberry

Publishberry is an AI-powered blogging platform that automates keyword research, content planning, article writing, SEO optimization, visual creation, and CMS publishing. The platform helps businesses maintain a consistent publishing schedule and build organic traffic without relying on a complicated collection of writers, agencies, and disconnected software tools.

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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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