The PTO once leased five modern buildings in downtown Alexandria. Even with that, some worked remotely. In addition to these “remote” workers outside the immediate Washington area, the PTO has what it calls “teleworkers,” who live within commuting distance of headquarters but work from home.

From Home to Where? | Columns from Northeast Kingdom of Vermont | northstarmonthly.com

Even while the globe isn’t quite ready to accept travel in the style of science fiction films yet, it gives tourists a preview of what they may expect to see.

Technology » TronWeekly

With one-fifth of its relatively small budget facing the chopping block, the team behind the Webb telescope is rightfully concerned about the future of their mission.

Even NASA's James Webb Space Telescope Is Getting Its Budget Slashed

Biden’s executive order on digital ID and secure third-party providers for cybersecurity Andromeda Security: “Even if an identity is compromised, there will be zero business impact” AI behind personalised phishing scams to executives, says eBay

Reaching a milestone of verified members with LinkedIn’s Head of Cybersecurity, Julie Madhusoodanan - Identity Week

Nvidia stock has been in a downward tumble as fears from a new Chinese start-up called DeepSeek linger.

Prediction: Even With DeepSeek's Interruption, Nvidia Will Still Be the First Artificial Intelligence (AI) Stock to Reach a $4 Trillion Valuation. Here's Why.

Subscribe to our daily newsletter to keep in touch with the subjects shaping our future.

Public Support for Elon Musk Is Plummeting, Even Among Trump Voters

Even those with a passing interest in blockchain will be aware of the buzz around AI-powered autonomous agents, which have swept through the cryptosphere like

AI Agent Frameworks: Charting the Rise of Web3’s Hottest New Narrative | Cryptopolitan

Coinbase has acquired a blockchain-based advertising and attribution startup. Plus, is brand safety on social media a myth?

Everything’s An Ad Network, Even Web3; The Myth Of Brand Safety | AdExchanger

Are you feeling lucky? If so, AI is ready to help -- maybe. Even with AI assistance, digital odds might not always be in your favor.

How AI Can Help (Or Deceive) Gamblers

Even

even

SaaS product design is the process of creating user-friendly software/applications that give customers a solid reason to keep returning. Thomas Watson, Jnr, a retired IBM CEO rightly pointed out; “good design is good business”. That’s to say if you don’t have a good design for your product, I’m sorry to say, you may have killed your SaaS product even before its launch date. From my research, I realised that top companies invest heavily in product design. They spare no cost to understanding what makes their target market tick – no assumptions, 100% verified data. Then they create a product design in line with their findings; and voila! As we proceed, I’ll share my unique perspective on how to build a SaaS product design that will engage and retain customers, with an appealing ROI. Build a Dream Life for Your SaaS Customers – Know Your Customers You’ve heard it before: “Know your customers” – that’s the only way you can build a dream SaaS product design for them. This reminds me of when I was a teenager, I disagreed with my parents a lot, mostly because I didn’t know any better. The older I get, the more that I see… (yeah yeah) that my parents knew better. All they did was “try” to build a dream life for me because they knew me (as their child) and what was best for me in anticipation of a dream future. When it comes to business, you (the founder) are the “parent”, your product is your “parenting effort”, and your customers are your “kids”. You need to spend quality time and resources knowing your customers. That way, you can create a product design that can connect with them at a deeper level, making their lives easier. Victor Papanek, designer, educator, and author, said: “The only important thing about design is how it relates to people.” Get the Flow Before the Aesthetics. Do you know TikTok? Silly question, right? Who doesn’t? Well, TikTok has undoubtedly ranked as one of the most downloaded apps in the whole world for four years and counting. Do you know why? Because it has a functional interface – full-screen videos, uncluttered grid, and seamless navigation – the design is just perfect. Do not sacrifice a perfect design on the altar of aesthetics. Your focus should be on designing a functional product as opposed to a visually appealing one. Former CEO of Apple, Steve Jobs, once said: “Most people make the mistake of thinking design is what it looks like. People think it’s this veneer – that the designers are handed this box and told, ‘Make it look good!’ That’s not what we think it is. It’s not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.” Unique Tips on How Not to Kill Your SaaS Product with a Terrible SaaS Product Design Here are some unique tips that can help you build an irresistible product design. What’s the problem? If you can’t recognise the problem, from a peculiar perspective (if I may add), then you have no business creating a product design. This also applies to already existing products – they need constant redesign, update, and evolution to get users to keep coming back. Take Vine for instance; founded in 2012, and shut down in 2017. This social media app had great potential and made a great impact. It shut down partly because it failed to evolve beyond its core six-second looping video format – and that is a design error. Pro tips: Use surveys, interviews, and industry insights to find details about the problem in question.
Refer to your customer service records for any complaints or compliments that may be in line with your idea.
Collaborate with cross-functional teams to get their perspectives on the problem. “A problem shared is half-solved.”
Have a visual representation of the problem to help with in-depth details about the problem. When you are well aware of what the problem is, then you can confidently approach your product design from a unique and well-informed perspective. Analyze the problem: Step back a bit and take a look at your “SaaS idea” again in light of your recent findings from stage one above. The picture should begin to form by now. Compare your findings to your competition and take notes. Pro tips: Compare your findings to similar products in the market and take note of any shortcomings or strengths.
Brainstorm possible design solutions and explore every alternative.
Collaborate with cross-functional teams to refine and enhance your analysis. This is the ideal stage to study brands with similar ideas but did not succeed. Learning from their mistakes can give you an edge. Create a user journey map: Now that you’ve analysed the problem in line with your idea, the next step is to factor in the usability of your product. To do that, you need to create a detailed user journey map. A user journey map is like a navigating tool for your customers, showing their first point of contact with the product, their level of interaction, and the point of exit. Pro tips: Note down how users feel about your existing product and similar products in the market. Find out how often and how long they interact with these products.
Next, show how your idea can solve current pain points and increase usability without sacrificing seamless user experience.
Check for practicality and demand. Ensure your product design has integrated features that fit into your customer’s daily routine.
Create a service blueprint showing every skill and role required to bring your idea to life. A user journey map is basically anticipating customer experience from top to bottom. Design a Prototype: Now you’re almost halfway there. The key thing at the prototype stage is not to put all your eggs in one basket. Try different approaches before making a final decision. Pro tips: Don’t stress over aesthetics just yet – functionality comes first.
Do not be scared to fail fast – the earlier you fail, the faster you get to your best option. The prototype stage allows you to, not just create, but also to experiment and tweak your product layout and interactions. Test and Iterate Information: The LA school system ran into a $1.3 billion problem in 2013 all because of a design error. The school system planned to give each school kid and teacher an iPad, geared towards a massive expansion of classroom technology. This problem would have been averted if Apple and Pearson had taken their time to test and iterate the iPad applications before releasing them to the schools. That way, teachers wouldn’t have struggled so badly to teach with the iPads. Pro tips: Set up usability testing with real users to find out if they have any issues with your prototype.
Pay attention to the human-to-system interactions and try to identify any gaps using the Human Factor principles.
Every test is a step towards perfection, embrace user feedback and craft an exceptional product. SaaS product design is the process of creating user-friendly software/applications that give customers a solid reason to keep returning. Thomas Watson, Jnr, a retired IBM CEO rightly pointed out; “good design is good business”. That’s to say if you don’t have a good design for your product, I’m sorry to say, you may have killed your SaaS product even before its launch date. From my research, I realised that top companies invest heavily in product design. They spare no cost to understanding what makes their target market tick – no assumptions, 100% verified data. Then they create a product design in line with their findings; and voila! As we proceed, I’ll share my unique perspective on how to build a SaaS product design that will engage and retain customers, with an appealing ROI. Build a Dream Life for Your SaaS Customers – Know Your Customers You’ve heard it before: “Know your customers” – that’s the only way you can build a dream SaaS product design for them. This reminds me of when I was a teenager, I disagreed with my parents a lot, mostly because I didn’t know any better. The older I get, the more that I see… (yeah yeah) that my parents knew better. All they did was “try” to build a dream life for me because they knew me (as their child) and what was best for me in anticipation of a dream future. (yeah yeah) When it comes to business, you (the founder) are the “parent”, your product is your “parenting effort”, and your customers are your “kids”. You need to spend quality time and resources knowing your customers. That way, you can create a product design that can connect with them at a deeper level, making their lives easier. Victor Papanek, designer, educator, and author, said: “The only important thing about design is how it relates to people.” Get the Flow Before the Aesthetics. Do you know TikTok? Silly question, right? Who doesn’t? Well, TikTok has undoubtedly ranked as one of the most downloaded apps in the whole world for four years and counting. Do you know why? Because it has a functional interface – full-screen videos, uncluttered grid, and seamless navigation – the design is just perfect. Do not sacrifice a perfect design on the altar of aesthetics. Your focus should be on designing a functional product as opposed to a visually appealing one. Former CEO of Apple, Steve Jobs, once said: “Most people make the mistake of thinking design is what it looks like. People think it’s this veneer – that the designers are handed this box and told, ‘Make it look good!’ That’s not what we think it is. It’s not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.” Unique Tips on How Not to Kill Your SaaS Product with a Terrible SaaS Product Design Here are some unique tips that can help you build an irresistible product design. What’s the problem? What’s the problem? If you can’t recognise the problem, from a peculiar perspective (if I may add), then you have no business creating a product design. This also applies to already existing products – they need constant redesign, update, and evolution to get users to keep coming back. Take Vine for instance; founded in 2012, and shut down in 2017. This social media app had great potential and made a great impact. It shut down partly because it failed to evolve beyond its core six-second looping video format – and that is a design error. Pro tips: Pro tips: Use surveys, interviews, and industry insights to find details about the problem in question. Refer to your customer service records for any complaints or compliments that may be in line with your idea. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to get their perspectives on the problem. “A problem shared is half-solved.” Have a visual representation of the problem to help with in-depth details about the problem. Use surveys, interviews, and industry insights to find details about the problem in question. Refer to your customer service records for any complaints or compliments that may be in line with your idea. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to get their perspectives on the problem. “A problem shared is half-solved.” Have a visual representation of the problem to help with in-depth details about the problem. When you are well aware of what the problem is, then you can confidently approach your product design from a unique and well-informed perspective. Analyze the problem: Analyze the problem: Step back a bit and take a look at your “SaaS idea” again in light of your recent findings from stage one above. The picture should begin to form by now. Compare your findings to your competition and take notes. Pro tips: Pro tips: Compare your findings to similar products in the market and take note of any shortcomings or strengths. Brainstorm possible design solutions and explore every alternative. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to refine and enhance your analysis. Compare your findings to similar products in the market and take note of any shortcomings or strengths. Brainstorm possible design solutions and explore every alternative. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to refine and enhance your analysis. This is the ideal stage to study brands with similar ideas but did not succeed. Learning from their mistakes can give you an edge. Create a user journey map: Create a user journey map: Now that you’ve analysed the problem in line with your idea, the next step is to factor in the usability of your product. To do that, you need to create a detailed user journey map. A user journey map is like a navigating tool for your customers, showing their first point of contact with the product, their level of interaction, and the point of exit. Pro tips: Pro tips: Note down how users feel about your existing product and similar products in the market. Find out how often and how long they interact with these products. Next, show how your idea can solve current pain points and increase usability without sacrificing seamless user experience. Check for practicality and demand. Ensure your product design has integrated features that fit into your customer’s daily routine. Create a service blueprint showing every skill and role required to bring your idea to life. Note down how users feel about your existing product and similar products in the market. Find out how often and how long they interact with these products. Next, show how your idea can solve current pain points and increase usability without sacrificing seamless user experience. Check for practicality and demand. Ensure your product design has integrated features that fit into your customer’s daily routine. Create a service blueprint showing every skill and role required to bring your idea to life. A user journey map is basically anticipating customer experience from top to bottom. Design a Prototype: Design a Prototype: Now you’re almost halfway there. The key thing at the prototype stage is not to put all your eggs in one basket. Try different approaches before making a final decision. Pro tips: Pro tips: Don’t stress over aesthetics just yet – functionality comes first. Do not be scared to fail fast – the earlier you fail, the faster you get to your best option. Don’t stress over aesthetics just yet – functionality comes first. Do not be scared to fail fast – the earlier you fail, the faster you get to your best option. The prototype stage allows you to, not just create, but also to experiment and tweak your product layout and interactions. Test and Iterate Information: Test and Iterate Information: Test and Iterate Information: The LA school system ran into a $1.3 billion problem in 2013 all because of a design error. The school system planned to give each school kid and teacher an iPad, geared towards a massive expansion of classroom technology. The LA school system ran into a $1.3 billion problem This problem would have been averted if Apple and Pearson had taken their time to test and iterate the iPad applications before releasing them to the schools. That way, teachers wouldn’t have struggled so badly to teach with the iPads. Pro tips: Pro tips: Set up usability testing with real users to find out if they have any issues with your prototype. Pay attention to the human-to-system interactions and try to identify any gaps using the Human Factor principles. Every test is a step towards perfection, embrace user feedback and craft an exceptional product. Set up usability testing with real users to find out if they have any issues with your prototype. Pay attention to the human-to-system interactions and try to identify any gaps using the Human Factor principles. Every test is a step towards perfection, embrace user feedback and craft an exceptional product.

How Not to Kill Your SaaS Product Before it Even Launches

On January 17, a new meme coin called $Trump was launched by the President-Elect. Within two days, its total market value peaked at over $14.5 billion - only to crash by two-thirds shortly after. Reuters reported that the entities behind the coin raked in close to $100 million in trading fees in under two weeks (according to estimates from three blockchain analysis firms). But while it was a windfall for some; hundreds of thousands of everyday traders lost money. Meanwhile, in late 2024 when Trump announced a Department of Government Efficiency - DOGE - Dogecoin surged to achieve a 150% increase post-election -  far outpacing Bitcoin’s 30% gain. Thanks to moments like these, meme coins are now firmly on the investment radar, but their erratic highs and often painful crashes make them hard to navigate at best, and downright frightening and risky at worst. Are they an exciting new asset class, or are they just a well-packaged scam? First things first, what are meme coins? Meme coins are cryptocurrencies that originate from internet culture, social media trends, or even okes. Unlike Bitcoin or Ethereum, which have clear technical foundations, meme coins thrive on hype, community sentiment, and celebrity endorsements. Their value is often volatile, dictated by online trends rather than fundamental utility. While they often start as parodies, meme coins can gain serious traction due to viral marketing and highly speculative trading. Sometimes, this traction is short-lived. Meme coins have gained mainstream visibility due to their cultural relevance and the potential they offer traders for outsized short-term gains. High-profile figures like Elon Musk have fueled meme coin rallies with a single tweet, driving huge speculative interest. While many traders are drawn to this possibility of overnight riches, the reality is that meme coins are high-risk assets with unpredictable price swings. Somewhat ironically, the SEC’s negative stance toward crypto has actually fuelled the rise of meme coins. While crypto assets that provide utility or financial returns face significant regulatory hurdles, or (worse) run the risk of ‘regulation by enforcement’, meme coins are openly and blatantly speculative and make no promises to holders, leaving them outside of the regulatory net. A high-risk game: meme coin volatility While meme coins can generate enormous gains, they are among the most volatile assets in crypto. Their prices are driven by community hype rather than fundamental value, meaning they can skyrocket or collapse within mere hours. For every story about a trader making 600% gains; there's another about someone losing everything. Fartcoin is one of the classic meme coins that went all in on absurdity. Launched as a joke (as many meme coins are), it promised absolutely nothing except ‘gassy gains’. Its community thrives on toilet humor and the idea that financial markets should be fun. Despite this ridiculous premise, Fartcoin saw some real traction (hitting 2.2B market cap) proving once again that in crypto, a good meme can be just as valuable as a good use case. Fartcoin followed the typical meme coin trajectory: early hype, a parabolic rise in value and then the inevitable crash when its whales cashed out. In line with this, Pump.fun is a meme coin platform that allows users to create and trade meme coins quickly and easily, often with little to no technical knowledge. The platform has gained popularity due to its streamlined process for launching tokens, which has led to a surge in speculative, short-lived coins. Beware the rug pull… Meme coins are notorious breeding grounds for what the industry calls pump-and-dump schemes. Influencers, celebrities and even viral internet personalities have launched their own coins - but this is often done at the expense of their fans. Take Haliey Welch, known online as the "Hawk Tuah" girl. After gaining internet infamy (you can read some of the details in Vanity Fair - they’re not for the fainthearted), Welch launched $HAWK which reached a market cap of nearly half a billion dollars within a single day. Hours later, however, the coin collapsed, wiping out investor funds and leading to nasty accusations of fraud. Some called it a textbook pump-and-dump scheme, where insiders hype up a coin, inflate its value and then sell off their holdings, leaving everyday traders with worthless tokens and sometimes devastating losses. This story isn’t just a one-off - meme coins routinely experience these catastrophic crashes and in February alone, several high-profile meme tokens plummeted, taking millions in investor funds with them. The most concerning amongst these was the $Libra cryptocurrency debacle - an ongoing political scandal that began on February 14 when the president of Argentina, Javier Milei, promoted a crypto project by the same name. The price of the meme coin spiked following Milei's promotion but then saw a severe price drop, leading to allegations of a rug pull scam (dubbed Cryptogate) and The Economist calling it the "first big scandal" of Milei's presidency. (These examples underscore why memecoins are also referred to by pejorative term ‘shi*coins’, or “a crypto with little to no value or no immediate, discernible purpose”. ) What does it all mean? Meme coin mania is often seen as a barometer of retail investor sentiment (the appetite of everyday investors to buy crypto) in the crypto market. When meme coin activity spikes, it often signals a growing appetite for risk. However, 2024 and early 2025 have introduced a new dynamic: institutional investors, via ETFs, have largely steered clear of meme coins. Analysts at Bitwise have pointed to a divergence of views which has seen institutions remain bullish on Bitcoin; but retail traders are pulling back, burned by previous meme coin implosions. Meme coin market dynamics For those still willing to take the plunge, understanding key market concepts before you risk it all is essential: Liquidity: Meme coins with low trading volumes can experience extreme price swings. Always check liquidity before investing.
Community sentiment: Meme coin prices are often dictated by social media hype. Platforms like Twitter and Telegram can provide insight into whether enthusiasm is genuine or artificially generated.
Tokenomics: Some meme coins have built-in mechanisms to drive scarcity, while others dilute their supply constantly. Understanding supply and demand is crucial.
Pump-and-dump risk: If a meme coin is being aggressively marketed with unrealistic promises, it’s likely a short-term hype play rather than a sustainable investment.
Early entry vs. longevity: Getting in early can be lucrative, but it’s also incredibly risky to try and ‘pick the top’. Some traders prefer holding well-established meme coins with strong communities rather than chasing the latest trend. If you’re considering diving into meme coins, it is wise to never invest more than you can afford to lose because much like gambling, fortunes can be made and lost in the blink of an eye. On January 17, a new meme coin called $Trump was launched by the President-Elect. Within two days, its total market value peaked at over $14.5 billion - only to crash by two-thirds shortly after. Reuters reported that the entities behind the coin raked in close to $100 million in trading fees in under two weeks (according to estimates from three blockchain analysis firms). But while it was a windfall for some; hundreds of thousands of everyday traders lost money. Meanwhile, in late 2024 when Trump announced a Department of Government Efficiency - DOGE - Dogecoin surged to achieve a 150% increase post-election -  far outpacing Bitcoin’s 30% gain. Reuters Reuters Thanks to moments like these, meme coins are now firmly on the investment radar, but their erratic highs and often painful crashes make them hard to navigate at best, and downright frightening and risky at worst. Are they an exciting new asset class, or are they just a well-packaged scam? meme coins First things first, what are meme coins? Meme coins are cryptocurrencies that originate from internet culture, social media trends, or even okes. Unlike Bitcoin or Ethereum, which have clear technical foundations, meme coins thrive on hype, community sentiment, and celebrity endorsements. Their value is often volatile, dictated by online trends rather than fundamental utility. While they often start as parodies, meme coins can gain serious traction due to viral marketing and highly speculative trading. Sometimes, this traction is short-lived. Meme coins have gained mainstream visibility due to their cultural relevance and the potential they offer traders for outsized short-term gains. High-profile figures like Elon Musk have fueled meme coin rallies with a single tweet, driving huge speculative interest. While many traders are drawn to this possibility of overnight riches, the reality is that meme coins are high-risk assets with unpredictable price swings. Somewhat ironically, the SEC’s negative stance toward crypto has actually fuelled the rise of meme coins. While crypto assets that provide utility or financial returns face significant regulatory hurdles, or (worse) run the risk of ‘regulation by enforcement’, meme coins are openly and blatantly speculative and make no promises to holders, leaving them outside of the regulatory net. A high-risk game: meme coin volatility While meme coins can generate enormous gains, they are among the most volatile assets in crypto. Their prices are driven by community hype rather than fundamental value, meaning they can skyrocket or collapse within mere hours. For every story about a trader making 600% gains; there's another about someone losing everything. Fartcoin is one of the classic meme coins that went all in on absurdity. Launched as a joke (as many meme coins are), it promised absolutely nothing except ‘gassy gains’. Its community thrives on toilet humor and the idea that financial markets should be fun. Despite this ridiculous premise, Fartcoin saw some real traction (hitting 2.2B market cap) proving once again that in crypto, a good meme can be just as valuable as a good use case. Fartcoin followed the typical meme coin trajectory: early hype, a parabolic rise in value and then the inevitable crash when its whales cashed out. In line with this, Pump.fun is a meme coin platform that allows users to create and trade meme coins quickly and easily, often with little to no technical knowledge. The platform has gained popularity due to its streamlined process for launching tokens, which has led to a surge in speculative, short-lived coins. Beware the rug pull… Meme coins are notorious breeding grounds for what the industry calls pump-and-dump schemes. Influencers, celebrities and even viral internet personalities have launched their own coins - but this is often done at the expense of their fans. Take Haliey Welch, known online as the "Hawk Tuah" girl. After gaining internet infamy (you can read some of the details in Vanity Fair - they’re not for the fainthearted), Welch launched $HAWK which reached a market cap of nearly half a billion dollars within a single day. Hours later, however, the coin collapsed, wiping out investor funds and leading to nasty accusations of fraud. Some called it a textbook pump-and-dump scheme, where insiders hype up a coin, inflate its value and then sell off their holdings, leaving everyday traders with worthless tokens and sometimes devastating losses. Vanity Fair Vanity Fair This story isn’t just a one-off - meme coins routinely experience these catastrophic crashes and in February alone, several high-profile meme tokens plummeted, taking millions in investor funds with them. several high-profile meme tokens plummeted, several high-profile meme tokens plummeted, The most concerning amongst these was the $Libra cryptocurrency debacle - an ongoing political scandal that began on February 14 when the president of Argentina, Javier Milei, promoted a crypto project by the same name. The price of the meme coin spiked following Milei's promotion but then saw a severe price drop, leading to allegations of a rug pull scam (dubbed Cryptogate) and The Economist calling it the "first big scandal" of Milei's presidency. (These examples underscore why memecoins are also referred to by pejorative term ‘shi*coins’, or “a crypto with little to no value or no immediate, discernible purpose”. ) What does it all mean? Meme coin mania is often seen as a barometer of retail investor sentiment (the appetite of everyday investors to buy crypto) in the crypto market. When meme coin activity spikes, it often signals a growing appetite for risk. However, 2024 and early 2025 have introduced a new dynamic: institutional investors, via ETFs, have largely steered clear of meme coins. Analysts at Bitwise have pointed to a divergence of views which has seen institutions remain bullish on Bitcoin; but retail traders are pulling back, burned by previous meme coin implosions. Meme coin market dynamics For those still willing to take the plunge, understanding key market concepts before you risk it all is essential: Liquidity: Meme coins with low trading volumes can experience extreme price swings. Always check liquidity before investing. Community sentiment: Meme coin prices are often dictated by social media hype. Platforms like Twitter and Telegram can provide insight into whether enthusiasm is genuine or artificially generated. Tokenomics: Some meme coins have built-in mechanisms to drive scarcity, while others dilute their supply constantly. Understanding supply and demand is crucial. Pump-and-dump risk: If a meme coin is being aggressively marketed with unrealistic promises, it’s likely a short-term hype play rather than a sustainable investment. Early entry vs. longevity: Getting in early can be lucrative, but it’s also incredibly risky to try and ‘pick the top’. Some traders prefer holding well-established meme coins with strong communities rather than chasing the latest trend. Liquidity: Meme coins with low trading volumes can experience extreme price swings. Always check liquidity before investing. Community sentiment: Meme coin prices are often dictated by social media hype. Platforms like Twitter and Telegram can provide insight into whether enthusiasm is genuine or artificially generated. Tokenomics: Some meme coins have built-in mechanisms to drive scarcity, while others dilute their supply constantly. Understanding supply and demand is crucial. Pump-and-dump risk: If a meme coin is being aggressively marketed with unrealistic promises, it’s likely a short-term hype play rather than a sustainable investment. Early entry vs. longevity: Getting in early can be lucrative, but it’s also incredibly risky to try and ‘pick the top’. Some traders prefer holding well-established meme coins with strong communities rather than chasing the latest trend. If you’re considering diving into meme coins, it is wise to never invest more than you can afford to lose because much like gambling, fortunes can be made and lost in the blink of an eye.

Meme Coins: Get Rich Quick or Get Rugged Even Quicker

NFT Paris 2025 brought community and innovation to life, but onboarding struggles show Web3 still has a long way to go for mass adoption. This year, for the first time, I had the pleasure of attending the NFT Paris 2025 [1], which took place at La Grande Halle de la Villette (obviously in Paris) from 13 to 14 February. With 20,000 attendees expected, 150 booths, presentations from 400 speakers, and over 200 side events, the event promised to be huge — and I was right in the middle of it all. Having attended several crypto conferences before but never visiting NFT Paris, my expectations were high. While I have no particular relation to the NFT game (I am more of a DeFi guy), I was curious to explore the event and the different NFT communities. It was really entertaining as the community aspect behind the NFTs is really recognizable in real life and brings the people together. For example, Pudgy Penguins [2] had set up a kind of Igloo in which only Pudgy Penguin NFT holders could enter and get goodies. A cool idea. But NFT Paris wasn’t just about NFTs (even though the name says so)—it also featured talks on Real World Assets (RWAs), Bitcoin Ordinals, and AI. The panels on tokenization and RWAs were particularly appealing to me as I love this topic and work in this field, with heavyweight speakers from Stellar Foundation, VanEck, Société Générale, and more. The booths were stunning (and packed with goodies and goddamn I love those goodies), but as always, the highlight was connecting with web3 friends, builders, and like-minded people. These conversations are where you feel the pulse of the ecosystem and learn more about the current challenges and trends. Positive Key Takeaway: Progress and Innovation Development in web3 is alive and well—especially around tokenization. It’s exciting to see this concept gaining more and more traction. After years of uncertainty around that topic, you can see the interest increase; primarily fuelled by the appetite of big financial institutions. This is definitely a trend that is here to stay in my opinion. One standout moment for me was learning about BitcoinOS’s [3] implementation of ZK-Proofs on Bitcoin. I had no idea that was even possible—it left me genuinely impressed. The builders that were there “by accident” as they won their booth spot were incredibly nice and introduced me in detail to the topic (and offered me a T-shirt, thank you again). And that’s what these conferences are about as well: Learning about new projects and following their development. Another point to mention is the marketing genius of Rekt [4]! Their branding flooded the event as they just gave out cans of flavoured water that you could scan to get tokens—a masterclass in crypto marketing and a showoff of how simple it can be to make people interested in your project. A standout moment of onboarding in contrast to what comes next. The Onboarding Problem: A Missed Opportunity Now for a less positive takeaway: Onboarding new people into web3 still has a long way to go. Let me share a personal experience with you. I attended an NFT Paris side event with my girlfriend and two friends—none of whom have any connection to web3. I thought an NFT-themed vernissage would be an ideal introduction to NFTs and web3, it has the perfect balance between real-life experience with a web3 touch. Especially in the context of NFTs, an art gallery should be perfect. The event promised free NFTs via QR code minting—a perfect first experience (or so I thought). What actually happened, after I explained to them that you simply have to scan the QR code with your wallet, then mint your NFT, and it stays in your wallet forever: I scanned the QR code with my multichain wallet—only to discover it didn’t support the Etherlink [5] blockchain used for minting.


I switched to Coinbase Wallet which they then recommended to me (luckily already installed) and scanned again. This time the wallet connected to the dApp—but when I tried minting, I got an error: "You need to be whitelisted.". So I had to go look for somebody working at the art gallery to get me whitelisted.


By then, my friends had lost interest halfway through the experience. The process was too cumbersome for something they didn’t value much anyway—a free NFT. And honestly? I don’t blame them. If I weren’t already into web3, this unhandy process would’ve turned me off too. This experience reinforced my opinion: onboarding needs to be seamless. Web3 apps must prioritize user experience so that even someone unfamiliar with crypto can interact without friction. Until we fix this issue, onboarding "normies" will remain one of web3’s biggest challenges. This is a relatively logical conclusion since we already know from the current Internet that if a process is not straightforward, user retention is extremely reduced. We are used to convenience and simplicity and a perfect web3 experience has to provide that as well. Final Thoughts: A Great Event Highlighting Trends and Challenges To be clear, this one frustrating experience doesn’t define NFT Paris as a whole—I had an amazing time reconnecting with friends in the space and the NFT Paris was fun. Compared to other crypto conferences I have been to, it was less formal, and it revolved more around fun, good vibes, and community-building - a welcomed change to industry-focused conferences like the Tokenization Summit. In any case, the conference has made me even more excited about Paris Blockchain Week 2025, for which I'm still hoping to get tickets (fingers crossed guys, an in-depth review will follow). The NFT Paris was a good reminder of how far we have come and how far we still have to go to make web3 truly accessible to everyone. In today’s world, people expect seamless user experiences. The friction we (admittedly often) encounter in web3 is a major barrier to adoption—and events like NFT Paris should be leading the charge in showcasing how easy and rewarding web3 can be. If we want mass adoption, we need dApps and infrastructure that offer flawless first impressions for new users. Otherwise, many people’s only interaction with crypto will remain limited to centralized exchanges—a bad representation of what web3 truly stands for. The NFT Paris reminded me why I love this space—but also why we still have work to do and maybe on what we should focus more. Have you been to NFT Paris or another crypto conference? Share your experiences! And who of you am I going to see at the Paris Blockchain Week this year? If you are interested in these topics, feel free to follow me! I write articles about DeFi, crypto, and anything related. If you want to talk to me or collaborate on an article you can also reach out on X/Twitter or Bluesky, my username there is @Maxo1st as well. Cheers, xx References: [1] https://www.nftparis.xyz/ [2] https://www.pudgypenguins.com/ [3] https://www.bitcoinos.build/ [4] https://www.rektguy.com/ [5] https://www.etherlink.com/ NFT Paris 2025 brought community and innovation to life, but onboarding struggles show Web3 still has a long way to go for mass adoption. This year, for the first time, I had the pleasure of attending the NFT Paris 2025 [1] , which took place at La Grande Halle de la Villette (obviously in Paris) from 13 to 14 February. With 20,000 attendees expected, 150 booths, presentations from 400 speakers, and over 200 side events, the event promised to be huge — and I was right in the middle of it all. [1] Having attended several crypto conferences before but never visiting NFT Paris, my expectations were high. While I have no particular relation to the NFT game (I am more of a DeFi guy), I was curious to explore the event and the different NFT communities. It was really entertaining as the community aspect behind the NFTs is really recognizable in real life and brings the people together. For example, Pudgy Penguins [2] had set up a kind of Igloo in which only Pudgy Penguin NFT holders could enter and get goodies. A cool idea. But NFT Paris wasn’t just about NFTs (even though the name says so)—it also featured talks on Real World Assets (RWAs), Bitcoin Ordinals, and AI. The panels on tokenization and RWAs were particularly appealing to me as I love this topic and work in this field, with heavyweight speakers from Stellar Foundation, VanEck, Société Générale, and more. The booths were stunning (and packed with goodies and goddamn I love those goodies), but as always, the highlight was connecting with web3 friends, builders, and like-minded people. These conversations are where you feel the pulse of the ecosystem and learn more about the current challenges and trends. [2] Positive Key Takeaway: Progress and Innovation Development in web3 is alive and well—especially around tokenization. It’s exciting to see this concept gaining more and more traction. After years of uncertainty around that topic, you can see the interest increase; primarily fuelled by the appetite of big financial institutions. This is definitely a trend that is here to stay in my opinion. One standout moment for me was learning about BitcoinOS’s [3] implementation of ZK-Proofs on Bitcoin. I had no idea that was even possible—it left me genuinely impressed. The builders that were there “by accident” as they won their booth spot were incredibly nice and introduced me in detail to the topic (and offered me a T-shirt, thank you again). And that’s what these conferences are about as well: Learning about new projects and following their development. Another point to mention is the marketing genius of Rekt [4]! Their branding flooded the event as they just gave out cans of flavoured water that you could scan to get tokens—a masterclass in crypto marketing and a showoff of how simple it can be to make people interested in your project. A standout moment of onboarding in contrast to what comes next. [3] The Onboarding Problem: A Missed Opportunity Now for a less positive takeaway: Onboarding new people into web3 still has a long way to go. Let me share a personal experience with you. I attended an NFT Paris side event with my girlfriend and two friends—none of whom have any connection to web3. I thought an NFT-themed vernissage would be an ideal introduction to NFTs and web3, it has the perfect balance between real-life experience with a web3 touch. Especially in the context of NFTs, an art gallery should be perfect. The event promised free NFTs via QR code minting—a perfect first experience (or so I thought). What actually happened, after I explained to them that you simply have to scan the QR code with your wallet, then mint your NFT, and it stays in your wallet forever: I scanned the QR code with my multichain wallet—only to discover it didn’t support the Etherlink [5] blockchain used for minting. I switched to Coinbase Wallet which they then recommended to me (luckily already installed) and scanned again. This time the wallet connected to the dApp—but when I tried minting, I got an error: "You need to be whitelisted.". So I had to go look for somebody working at the art gallery to get me whitelisted. By then, my friends had lost interest halfway through the experience. The process was too cumbersome for something they didn’t value much anyway—a free NFT. I scanned the QR code with my multichain wallet—only to discover it didn’t support the Etherlink [5] blockchain used for minting. I scanned the QR code with my multichain wallet—only to discover it didn’t support the Etherlink [5] blockchain used for minting. I switched to Coinbase Wallet which they then recommended to me (luckily already installed) and scanned again. This time the wallet connected to the dApp—but when I tried minting, I got an error: "You need to be whitelisted.". So I had to go look for somebody working at the art gallery to get me whitelisted. I switched to Coinbase Wallet which they then recommended to me (luckily already installed) and scanned again. This time the wallet connected to the dApp—but when I tried minting, I got an error: "You need to be whitelisted.". So I had to go look for somebody working at the art gallery to get me whitelisted. By then, my friends had lost interest halfway through the experience. The process was too cumbersome for something they didn’t value much anyway—a free NFT. By then, my friends had lost interest halfway through the experience. The process was too cumbersome for something they didn’t value much anyway—a free NFT. And honestly? I don’t blame them. If I weren’t already into web3, this unhandy process would’ve turned me off too. This experience reinforced my opinion: onboarding needs to be seamless . Web3 apps must prioritize user experience so that even someone unfamiliar with crypto can interact without friction. Until we fix this issue, onboarding "normies" will remain one of web3’s biggest challenges. This is a relatively logical conclusion since we already know from the current Internet that if a process is not straightforward, user retention is extremely reduced. We are used to convenience and simplicity and a perfect web3 experience has to provide that as well. onboarding needs to be seamless Final Thoughts: A Great Event Highlighting Trends and Challenges To be clear, this one frustrating experience doesn’t define NFT Paris as a whole—I had an amazing time reconnecting with friends in the space and the NFT Paris was fun. Compared to other crypto conferences I have been to, it was less formal, and it revolved more around fun, good vibes, and community-building - a welcomed change to industry-focused conferences like the Tokenization Summit. In any case, the conference has made me even more excited about Paris Blockchain Week 2025, for which I'm still hoping to get tickets (fingers crossed guys, an in-depth review will follow). The NFT Paris was a good reminder of how far we have come and how far we still have to go to make web3 truly accessible to everyone. In today’s world, people expect seamless user experiences. The friction we (admittedly often) encounter in web3 is a major barrier to adoption—and events like NFT Paris should be leading the charge in showcasing how easy and rewarding web3 can be. If we want mass adoption, we need dApps and infrastructure that offer flawless first impressions for new users. Otherwise, many people’s only interaction with crypto will remain limited to centralized exchanges—a bad representation of what web3 truly stands for. The NFT Paris reminded me why I love this space—but also why we still have work to do and maybe on what we should focus more. Have you been to NFT Paris or another crypto conference? Share your experiences! And who of you am I going to see at the Paris Blockchain Week this year? If you are interested in these topics, feel free to follow me! I write articles about DeFi, crypto, and anything related. If you want to talk to me or collaborate on an article you can also reach out on X/Twitter or Bluesky , my username there is @Maxo1st as well. X/Twitter Bluesky Cheers, xx References: [1] https://www.nftparis.xyz/ https://www.nftparis.xyz/ [2] https://www.pudgypenguins.com/ https://www.pudgypenguins.com/ [3] https://www.bitcoinos.build/ https://www.bitcoinos.build/ [4] https://www.rektguy.com/ https://www.rektguy.com/ [5] https://www.etherlink.com/ https://www.etherlink.com/

NFT Paris 2025 Review: An Amazing Event, But Onboarding Normies? We’ve Got Work to Do

NFT প্যারিস ২০২৫ পর্যালোচনা: একটি আশ্চর্যজনক ঘটনা, কিন্তু নিয়ম মেনে চলা? আমাদের কাজ বাকি আছে

Reseña de NFT Paris 2025: un evento increíble, pero ¿cómo incorporar a los normies? Tenemos trabajo por hacer

NFT Paris 2025 -katsaus: Upea tapahtuma, mutta normien käyttöönotto? Meillä on työtä tehtävänä

NFT पेरिस 2025 की समीक्षा: एक अद्भुत आयोजन, लेकिन सामान्य लोगों को शामिल करना? हमें अभी और काम करना है

NFT Paris 2025 Review: Csodálatos esemény, de bevezetik a normákat? Dolgunk van

NFT パリ 2025 レビュー: 素晴らしいイベントだが、一般人を参加させるには? やるべきことがある

NFT 파리 2025 리뷰: 놀라운 이벤트지만 노미 탑승? 해야 할 일이 남았다

Famerenan'ny NFT Paris 2025: Hetsika mahagaga, fa ny fitsipika mifehy? Manana asa atao izahay

Преглед на NFT Paris 2025: Неверојатен настан, но воведување норми? Имаме работа да направиме

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Tinjauan NFT Paris 2025: Peristiwa Menakjubkan, Tetapi Kebiasaannya? Kami Ada Kerja Yang Perlu Dilakukan

NFT Pari Paris 2025 Syn: Geň galdyryjy waka, ýöne uçuş kadalary? Biziň etmeli işimiz bar

People Lie. Even When They Think They’re Telling the Truth

Here's What You Need to Know Before Using Event Sourcing

As we reach mid-February 2025, the pace of events has been so rapid that it feels as though half the year has already passed. Here’s a concise overview of the significant developments that have unfolded thus far: AI Innovations and Rivalries In the realm of artificial intelligence, French startup Mistral AI has emerged as a formidable competitor to industry giants. Founded in April 2023 by former engineers from Google DeepMind and Meta Platforms, Mistral AI has developed advanced open-weight large language models, positioning itself as a notable alternative to proprietary AI systems. Their open-weight large language models have gained significant traction, particularly in Europe, where there's a growing demand for alternatives to U.S.-based AI systems. Mistral AI's approach aligns with the EU's focus on open and transparent AI development. Defense Sector Developments Another French startup, Exotrail, has made significant strides in the defense sector. Specializing in space logistics and propulsion systems, Exotrail has been instrumental in advancing rocket technology, contributing to Europe’s growing presence in space defense initiatives. In February 2025, they secured a major contract with the European Space Agency to develop next-generation satellite propulsion systems, further solidifying their position in the industry. Controversial Moves in Venture Capital In early February 2025, venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) announced the hiring of Daniel Penny, a former Marine veteran, as a deal partner for its American Dynamism team. Penny was previously involved in a 2023 subway incident in New York City, where he restrained Jordan Neely, a homeless man, leading to Neely’s death. Penny was acquitted of criminal charges in December 2024. Many questioned the decision, given Penny's controversial past, while others defended it as an example of second chances. This move has led to increased scrutiny of hiring practices in the VC industry. Cryptocurrency Turbulence In the cryptocurrency arena, President Donald Trump launched a meme coin named $TRUMP just before his inauguration. The $TRUMP coin saw an explosive growth shortly after its launch, with its value soaring overnight. The coin's market capitalization reached approximately $14 billion at its peak. However, it's important to note that shortly after, Melania Trump introduced her own meme coin, $MELANIA, which also experienced rapid growth followed by a sharp decline. The $MELANIA coin's market cap reached around $5 billion at its peak. Government Efficiency Initiatives President Trump appointed Elon Musk to lead the newly established Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). This initiative aims to streamline federal operations and reduce bureaucratic inefficiencies. Musk has assembled a team of young technologists, often referred to as “baby-faced assassins,” to spearhead this effort. The DOGE is not a traditional Cabinet-level department but a temporary organization within the Executive Office of the President. Musk's team of young technologists includes Akash Bobba (21), Edward Coristine (19), Luke Farritor (23), Gautier Cole Killian (24), Gavin Kliger (25), and Ethan Shaotran (22). Their appointment has raised concerns about their experience and qualifications. Geographical Renaming Controversies In a move reflecting his “America First” policy, President Trump ordered the renaming of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. This decision has sparked debates among cartographers, politicians, and the public, reminiscent of past presidential actions such as the renaming of North America’s highest peak from Denali back to Mt. McKinley. With these rapid-fire developments, 2025 is shaping up to be anything but slow. If the first two months are any indication, we’re in for a wild ride—expect more surprises, more drama, and a whole lot of shaking things up. Buckle up. As we reach mid-February 2025, the pace of events has been so rapid that it feels as though half the year has already passed. Here’s a concise overview of the significant developments that have unfolded thus far: the pace of events has been so rapid AI Innovations and Rivalries AI Innovations and Rivalries In the realm of artificial intelligence, French startup Mistral AI has emerged as a formidable competitor to industry giants. Founded in April 2023 by former engineers from Google DeepMind and Meta Platforms, Mistral AI has developed advanced open-weight large language models, positioning itself as a notable alternative to proprietary AI systems. French startup Mistral AI Their open-weight large language models have gained significant traction, particularly in Europe, where there's a growing demand for alternatives to U.S.-based AI systems. Mistral AI's approach aligns with the EU's focus on open and transparent AI development. Defense Sector Developments Defense Sector Developments Another French startup, Exotrail , has made significant strides in the defense sector. Specializing in space logistics and propulsion systems, Exotrail has been instrumental in advancing rocket technology, contributing to Europe’s growing presence in space defense initiatives. Exotrail In February 2025, they secured a major contract with the European Space Agency to develop next-generation satellite propulsion systems, further solidifying their position in the industry. Controversial Moves in Venture Capital Controversial Moves in Venture Capital In early February 2025, venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) announced the hiring of Daniel Penny , a former Marine veteran, as a deal partner for its American Dynamism team. Penny was previously involved in a 2023 subway incident in New York City, where he restrained Jordan Neely, a homeless man, leading to Neely’s death. hiring of Daniel Penny Penny was acquitted of criminal charges in December 2024. Many questioned the decision, given Penny's controversial past, while others defended it as an example of second chances. This move has led to increased scrutiny of hiring practices in the VC industry. Cryptocurrency Turbulence Cryptocurrency Turbulence In the cryptocurrency arena, President Donald Trump launched a meme coin named $TRUMP just before his inauguration. The $TRUMP coin saw an explosive growth shortly after its launch, with its value soaring overnight. $TRUMP The coin's market capitalization reached approximately $14 billion at its peak. However, it's important to note that shortly after, Melania Trump introduced her own meme coin, $MELANIA, which also experienced rapid growth followed by a sharp decline. The $MELANIA coin's market cap reached around $5 billion at its peak. Government Efficiency Initiatives Government Efficiency Initiatives President Trump appointed Elon Musk to lead the newly established Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). This initiative aims to streamline federal operations and reduce bureaucratic inefficiencies. Musk has assembled a team of young technologists, often referred to as “baby-faced assassins,” to spearhead this effort. The DOGE is not a traditional Cabinet-level department but a temporary organization within the Executive Office of the President. Musk's team of young technologists includes Akash Bobba (21), Edward Coristine (19), Luke Farritor (23), Gautier Cole Killian (24), Gavin Kliger (25), and Ethan Shaotran (22). Their appointment has raised concerns about their experience and qualifications. Geographical Renaming Controversies Geographical Renaming Controversies In a move reflecting his “America First” policy, President Trump ordered the renaming of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. This decision has sparked debates among cartographers, politicians, and the public, reminiscent of past presidential actions such as the renaming of North America’s highest peak from Denali back to Mt. McKinley. With these rapid-fire developments, 2025 is shaping up to be anything but slow. If the first two months are any indication, we’re in for a wild ride—expect more surprises, more drama, and a whole lot of shaking things up. Buckle up.

Mid-Feb Already Feels Like Mid-Year: A Recap of 2025’s Major (Around) Tech Events

ফেব্রুয়ারির মাঝামাঝি সময়টা ইতিমধ্যেই বছরের মাঝামাঝি মনে হচ্ছে: ২০২৫ সালের প্রধান (প্রায়) প্রযুক্তিগত ঘটনাবলীর সংক্ষিপ্তসার

Mediados de febrero ya parece mediados de año: un resumen de los principales eventos tecnológicos de 2025

Helmikuun puoliväli tuntuu jo vuoden puoliväliltä: yhteenveto vuoden 2025 tärkeimmistä (noin) teknisistä tapahtumista

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2月中旬はもう年半ばのような気分: 2025年(近辺)の主要テクノロジーイベントのまとめ

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Vasario vidurys jau atrodo kaip metų vidurys: pagrindinių 2025 m. (apie) technologijų įvykių apžvalga

Half februari voelt al als half jaar: een samenvatting van de belangrijkste (rond) tech-evenementen van 2025

Meados de fevereiro já parecem meados do ano: uma recapitulação dos principais eventos de tecnologia de 2025

Chawpi Feb Ñam Chawpi Wata hina sientekun: Huk Recap 2025’s Hatun (Muyuyninpi) Tech Eventos kaqmanta

فروری کا وسط پہلے سے ہی وسط سال کی طرح محسوس ہوتا ہے: 2025 کے بڑے (آس پاس) ٹیک ایونٹس کا ایک خلاصہ

Maphakathi no-Feb Sekuvele Kuzwakala Njengaphakathi Nonyaka: I-Recap of 2025's Major (Around) Tech Events

Laravel is one of the most popular PHP frameworks in the world, widely loved for its elegant syntax, powerful features, and ease of use. However, like every technology, it has its quirks—some of which can seem downright weird! I want to hear from you: What do you find weird about Laravel? Is it something about its architecture, its updates, or a strange bug you once encountered? Let's discuss it! My Take on Laravel's Weirdness Personally, the weirdest thing about Laravel is its frequent updates! Just when you think you've mastered one version, boom—a new version drops! Laravel 9 was released in 2022, and before many could fully master it, Laravel 10 was out in early 2023. And now, Laravel 11 is here, packed with more features and breaking changes that require developers to keep learning and adapting. While updates are great for security and performance, the fast-paced nature of Laravel’s evolution can sometimes feel overwhelming, especially for beginners or teams managing long-term projects. Another thing I find unusual about Laravel is how much magic happens under the hood. The framework simplifies so much that sometimes developers don’t fully understand what’s happening behind the scenes. This can be both a blessing and a curse—while it makes development faster, debugging can become a nightmare when things go wrong. Other Weird Things About Laravel Here are some other things that developers have found weird or unusual about Laravel: Facades are confusing at first – Laravel’s use of facades (like DB::table() instead of traditional object instantiation) is great for simplicity but can be confusing for developers coming from other frameworks. They seem like static methods but work dynamically.
Eloquent is powerful but can be tricky – Laravel's ORM, Eloquent, is fantastic for database interactions, but it can sometimes result in unexpected queries, especially with lazy loading. A simple mistake like forgetting to eager load related models can cause performance issues.
Blade templates look too much like plain HTML – While Laravel’s Blade templating engine is great, newcomers often wonder if they’re writing plain HTML or Laravel-specific code. The @ directives, like @if and @foreach, blend into HTML so smoothly that it sometimes feels a little too seamless.
Route caching issues – Laravel provides route caching for performance improvement, but if you forget to clear the cache after adding new routes, your new changes won’t work, leading to confusion.
Too many helper functions – Laravel comes with an extensive list of helper functions, like str_slug(), app_path(), and abort(). While they’re useful, there are so many of them that it can be hard to remember which ones exist or when to use them. Final Thoughts Despite its quirks, Laravel remains one of the best PHP frameworks available. Its rapid development cycle, extensive documentation, and large community support make it a solid choice for modern web development. But that doesn’t mean it’s without its weirdness! Now it’s your turn! What’s the weirdest thing you’ve noticed about Laravel? Let’s discuss this in the comments. I Remain Emmykolic – you can always reach out to me! Till next time, Bye! 🚀 Laravel is one of the most popular PHP frameworks in the world, widely loved for its elegant syntax, powerful features, and ease of use. However, like every technology, it has its quirks—some of which can seem downright weird! I want to hear from you: What do you find weird about Laravel? Is it something about its architecture, its updates, or a strange bug you once encountered? Let's discuss it! My Take on Laravel's Weirdness My Take on Laravel's Weirdness Personally, the weirdest thing about Laravel is its frequent updates! Just when you think you've mastered one version, boom—a new version drops! Laravel 9 was released in 2022, and before many could fully master it, Laravel 10 was out in early 2023. And now, Laravel 11 is here, packed with more features and breaking changes that require developers to keep learning and adapting. While updates are great for security and performance, the fast-paced nature of Laravel’s evolution can sometimes feel overwhelming, especially for beginners or teams managing long-term projects. Another thing I find unusual about Laravel is how much magic happens under the hood. The framework simplifies so much that sometimes developers don’t fully understand what’s happening behind the scenes. This can be both a blessing and a curse—while it makes development faster, debugging can become a nightmare when things go wrong. Other Weird Things About Laravel Other Weird Things About Laravel Here are some other things that developers have found weird or unusual about Laravel: Facades are confusing at first – Laravel’s use of facades (like DB::table() instead of traditional object instantiation) is great for simplicity but can be confusing for developers coming from other frameworks. They seem like static methods but work dynamically. Eloquent is powerful but can be tricky – Laravel's ORM, Eloquent, is fantastic for database interactions, but it can sometimes result in unexpected queries, especially with lazy loading. A simple mistake like forgetting to eager load related models can cause performance issues. Blade templates look too much like plain HTML – While Laravel’s Blade templating engine is great, newcomers often wonder if they’re writing plain HTML or Laravel-specific code. The @ directives, like @if and @foreach, blend into HTML so smoothly that it sometimes feels a little too seamless. Route caching issues – Laravel provides route caching for performance improvement, but if you forget to clear the cache after adding new routes, your new changes won’t work, leading to confusion. Too many helper functions – Laravel comes with an extensive list of helper functions, like str_slug(), app_path(), and abort(). While they’re useful, there are so many of them that it can be hard to remember which ones exist or when to use them. Facades are confusing at first – Laravel’s use of facades (like DB::table() instead of traditional object instantiation) is great for simplicity but can be confusing for developers coming from other frameworks. They seem like static methods but work dynamically. Facades are confusing at first DB::table() Eloquent is powerful but can be tricky – Laravel's ORM, Eloquent, is fantastic for database interactions, but it can sometimes result in unexpected queries, especially with lazy loading. A simple mistake like forgetting to eager load related models can cause performance issues. Eloquent is powerful but can be tricky Blade templates look too much like plain HTML – While Laravel’s Blade templating engine is great, newcomers often wonder if they’re writing plain HTML or Laravel-specific code. The @ directives, like @if and @foreach , blend into HTML so smoothly that it sometimes feels a little too seamless. Blade templates look too much like plain HTML @ @if @foreach Route caching issues – Laravel provides route caching for performance improvement, but if you forget to clear the cache after adding new routes, your new changes won’t work, leading to confusion. Route caching issues Too many helper functions – Laravel comes with an extensive list of helper functions, like str_slug() , app_path() , and abort() . While they’re useful, there are so many of them that it can be hard to remember which ones exist or when to use them. Too many helper functions str_slug() app_path() abort() Final Thoughts Final Thoughts Despite its quirks, Laravel remains one of the best PHP frameworks available. Its rapid development cycle, extensive documentation, and large community support make it a solid choice for modern web development. But that doesn’t mean it’s without its weirdness! Now it’s your turn! What’s the weirdest thing you’ve noticed about Laravel? Let’s discuss this in the comments. What’s the weirdest thing you’ve noticed about Laravel? I Remain Emmykolic – you can always reach out to me! Till next time, Bye! 🚀 Emmykolic

Frequent Updates Might Not Even Be The Most Weirdest Thing About Laravel

Just before 2024 ended, engineers from Northwestern University showed the world that quantum teleportation may not require specialized infrastructure as we've always thought. Instead, we could use the same fiber optic cables that we utilize in classical communication. Fibre optic cables or optical fibers transmit light particles, signals, or pulses. They contain glass fibers wrapped in another glass layer called cladding, a buffer tube, and a jacket, the final layer. After quantum teleportation became more than a theoretical scientific milestone, there was another problem—how to teleport information with quantum computing while preserving the data. But why's this a problem, and what's quantum teleportation in the first place? This article will explain quantum teleportation, how it works, and how it could affect modern-day communication. What is Quantum Teleportation? To understand quantum teleportation, we must first start with its parent field—quantum computing. And to understand quantum computing, we must know what quantum mechanics is. As the DOE explains, quantum mechanics is the field of physics that explains how extremely small objects have the characteristics of particles and waves simultaneously. For instance, the atom consists of subatomic particles like electrons that exhibit this wave-particle duality. In other words, while they exist as a small discrete unit in a bound state, they are also constantly shifting. The discovery of these microscopic objects, known as quanta, spurred a series of discoveries in the field. Quantum computing was the first, leading to the birth of quantum computers, which could solve problems that even the most powerful classical computers couldn't. At the heart of this field lies quantum teleportation. It is a faster, more secure method of transmitting information over significant distances without direct transfer through a phenomenon known as quantum entanglement. Key Principles and Terms of Quantum Teleportation Understanding quantum teleportation requires you to grasp the underlying concepts that form its basis. These include: Qubit Quantum bits, also known as qubits, are the fundamental units that make up the parts of a quantum system. While classical computers store information in 0 or 1 bits, quantum bits can exist as 0, 1, or both 0 and 1. Quantum Entanglement John Preskill, professor of theoretical physics at the California Institute of Technology, explains it as the characteristic correlations between parts of a quantum system. These parts, known as qubits, are linked in a way that allows them to exchange information without physically transporting it. When the state of one is changed, the other one automatically assumes the altered state. Superposition Superposition is one of the most important principles of quantum mechanics. Due to its wave-particle dual nature, a quantum particle can exist in multiple states. However, these superpositions are mathematical probabilities of the particle having a specific property. Bell State Bell state, also called EPR states or pairs, is the simplest form of quantum entanglement. When a qubit's state takes on a value, the correlating qubit will also take on a value. Each quantum entanglement formed from two cubits can result in 4 bell states. Quantum State A quantum state is simply the physical properties of a quantum system. However, it is usually mathematically represented by a vector containing all the information about that system. Quantum states are usually written as |Ψ⟩. Teleportation Protocol The big question is how these all come together to cause quantum teleportation as we know it. In 1993, four scientists—Bennett, Brassard, Crépeau, Jozsa, Peres, and Wootters—came together to form the teleportation protocol. But it wasn't until 1997 that Anton Zeilinger and Sandu Prospecu took it from pages to a real experiment. The teleportation protocol exists for one sole reason—to transfer quantum states from one particle to another without physically moving them. It involves preparing entangled particles, performing specific operations on them (like measurements and classical communication), and finally sending the states. Instead of classical gates that use bits, the protocol uses quantum gates to build quantum circuits at the start of the teleportation process. These gates are called the Hadamard and CNOT gates and are used to create an EPR qubit or Bell state described earlier. Here's a full breakdown of the teleportation protocol published by Mario Mastriani. What Does Quantum Teleportation Mean for Us? Now that we're making progress with quantum teleportation, what does it mean for us as humans? Secure Communication: Of all the benefits of quantum teleportation, the most talked about is quantum encryption. No doubt, quantum teleportation will make current cybersecurity practices laughable. Forget what you know about firewalls, VPNs, and encryption. They all rely on the assumption that hackers can't intercept data. Well, until now. Quantum encryption can prevent many security breaches, especially now that security threats have become more advanced. When someone attempts to intercept information, the quantum state of the particles involved will be disrupted, and both parties will be alerted. Faster-than-Light Communication: Although we're not there yet, quantum teleportation will soon set a new communication speed standard. If the quantum internet becomes a thing, you can transfer data across continents almost immediately. This could be helpful in many areas, such as business, healthcare, and education. It might allow people to work together in real time, no matter where they are. Space Exploration: Space technology could've gone farther than this if only communication with spacecraft or satellites had been faster. But it hasn't because signals must travel long distances before they reach space. But it's not just space. Several other technologies and industries will develop much faster with quantum teleportation. Information discovery and sharing is the backbone of any invention. Maybe we really could use the quantum push. Quantum Is the Next Big Thing In Communication Quantum teleportation still has a long way to go. If we've come this far, I have no doubt that we will see surprising advancements before the next decade is over. We still have much to do regarding quantum repeaters, as well as the effect of temperature and electromagnetic radiation on quantum systems. But I have no doubt that we will soon build quantum communication networks that can operate reliably outside of controlled lab environments. I can't wait for us to have more secure, instantaneous data systems. This will likely cause change in almost every field known to man, whether it's cybersecurity or global communications. One day, in the future, you may look back and realize that our current communication methods were much slower, just as you'd say about the Abacus right now. So, the next time someone talks about quantum teleportation, remember it's no longer a sci-fi dream. It's already here. Just before 2024 ended, engineers from Northwestern University showed the world that quantum teleportation may not require specialized infrastructure as we've always thought. Instead, we could use the same fiber optic cables that we utilize in classical communication. Fibre optic cables or optical fibers transmit light particles, signals, or pulses. They contain glass fibers wrapped in another glass layer called cladding, a buffer tube, and a jacket, the final layer. After quantum teleportation became more than a theoretical scientific milestone, there was another problem—how to teleport information with quantum computing while preserving the data. But why's this a problem, and what's quantum teleportation in the first place? This article will explain quantum teleportation, how it works, and how it could affect modern-day communication. What is Quantum Teleportation? To understand quantum teleportation, we must first start with its parent field—quantum computing. And to understand quantum computing, we must know what quantum mechanics is. As the DOE explains, quantum mechanics is the field of physics that explains how extremely small objects have the characteristics of particles and waves simultaneously. For instance, the atom consists of subatomic particles like electrons that exhibit this wave-particle duality. In other words, while they exist as a small discrete unit in a bound state, they are also constantly shifting. quantum mechanics quantum mechanics The discovery of these microscopic objects, known as quanta, spurred a series of discoveries in the field. Quantum computing was the first, leading to the birth of quantum computers, which could solve problems that even the most powerful classical computers couldn't. At the heart of this field lies quantum teleportation. It is a faster, more secure method of transmitting information over significant distances without direct transfer through a phenomenon known as quantum entanglement. Key Principles and Terms of Quantum Teleportation Understanding quantum teleportation requires you to grasp the underlying concepts that form its basis. These include: Qubit Quantum bits , also known as qubits, are the fundamental units that make up the parts of a quantum system. While classical computers store information in 0 or 1 bits, quantum bits can exist as 0, 1, or both 0 and 1. Quantum bits Quantum bits Quantum Entanglement John Preskill, professor of theoretical physics at the California Institute of Technology, explains it as the characteristic correlations between parts of a quantum system. These parts, known as qubits, are linked in a way that allows them to exchange information without physically transporting it. When the state of one is changed, the other one automatically assumes the altered state. characteristic correlations characteristic correlations Superposition Superposition is one of the most important principles of quantum mechanics. Due to its wave-particle dual nature, a quantum particle can exist in multiple states. However, these superpositions are mathematical probabilities of the particle having a specific property. Bell State Bell state, also called EPR states or pairs, is the simplest form of quantum entanglement. When a qubit's state takes on a value, the correlating qubit will also take on a value. Each quantum entanglement formed from two cubits can result in 4 bell states. Quantum State A quantum state is simply the physical properties of a quantum system. However, it is usually mathematically represented by a vector containing all the information about that system. Quantum states are usually written as |Ψ⟩. Teleportation Protocol The big question is how these all come together to cause quantum teleportation as we know it. In 1993, four scientists—Bennett, Brassard, Crépeau, Jozsa, Peres, and Wootters—came together to form the teleportation protocol . But it wasn't until 1997 that Anton Zeilinger and Sandu Prospecu took it from pages to a real experiment. the teleportation protocol the teleportation protocol The teleportation protocol exists for one sole reason—to transfer quantum states from one particle to another without physically moving them. It involves preparing entangled particles, performing specific operations on them (like measurements and classical communication), and finally sending the states. Instead of classical gates that use bits, the protocol uses quantum gates to build quantum circuits at the start of the teleportation process. These gates are called the Hadamard and CNOT gates and are used to create an EPR qubit or Bell state described earlier. Here's a full breakdown of the teleportation protocol published by Mario Mastriani. teleportation protocol teleportation protocol What Does Quantum Teleportation Mean for Us? Now that we're making progress with quantum teleportation, what does it mean for us as humans? Secure Communication: Of all the benefits of quantum teleportation, the most talked about is quantum encryption. No doubt, quantum teleportation will make current cybersecurity practices laughable. Forget what you know about firewalls, VPNs, and encryption. They all rely on the assumption that hackers can't intercept data. Well, until now. Quantum encryption can prevent many security breaches, especially now that security threats have become more advanced. When someone attempts to intercept information, the quantum state of the particles involved will be disrupted, and both parties will be alerted. Faster-than-Light Communication: Although we're not there yet, quantum teleportation will soon set a new communication speed standard. If the quantum internet becomes a thing, you can transfer data across continents almost immediately. This could be helpful in many areas, such as business, healthcare, and education. It might allow people to work together in real time, no matter where they are. Space Exploration: Space technology could've gone farther than this if only communication with spacecraft or satellites had been faster. But it hasn't because signals must travel long distances before they reach space. But it's not just space. Several other technologies and industries will develop much faster with quantum teleportation. Information discovery and sharing is the backbone of any invention. Maybe we really could use the quantum push. Quantum Is the Next Big Thing In Communication Quantum teleportation still has a long way to go. If we've come this far, I have no doubt that we will see surprising advancements before the next decade is over. We still have much to do regarding quantum repeaters, as well as the effect of temperature and electromagnetic radiation on quantum systems. But I have no doubt that we will soon build quantum communication networks that can operate reliably outside of controlled lab environments. I can't wait for us to have more secure, instantaneous data systems. This will likely cause change in almost every field known to man, whether it's cybersecurity or global communications. One day, in the future, you may look back and realize that our current communication methods were much slower, just as you'd say about the Abacus right now. So, the next time someone talks about quantum teleportation, remember it's no longer a sci-fi dream. It's already here.

Forget Faster Than Light Travel—Quantum Computing Could Deliver What You Say Even Before You Speak

Picking a name to define Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs) could be tricky. Some people call them, indeed, organizations, while others also call them communities, entities, governance systems, corporations, or organizational structures. In some places, they’re legally recognized as companies or general partnerships. We can say that they’re a group of people (a sort of community, indeed) digitally united by a common cause, without centralized leadership. They manage common funds and have the right to vote through governance tokens and smart contracts. That’s how a DAO can work: with the rules of an algorithm on a Distributed Ledger, instead of any human middlemen. If you’ve been in the crypto world enough, maybe you’ve already participated in a DAO or something very similar, without even noticing. There are some famous DAOs around now, handling very popular DeFi platforms: Uniswap, AAVE, Arbitrum, Lido, Maker, Curve, ApeCoin, and so on. Potential Issues vs. Benefits The concept of DAOs gained significant attention with "The DAO" by Slock.it in 2016, an Ethereum-based project aimed at decentralized venture capital funding. While it raised over $150 million in ether (ETH), a flaw in its smart contract allowed an attacker to siphon funds, resulting in a controversial Ethereum hard fork to recover the stolen assets. This incident highlighted the security risks of DAOs, especially when smart contracts—immutable and transparent—contain vulnerabilities. Auditing code thoroughly is critical to avoid potentially catastrophic consequences. Another major issue could be legal uncertainty, depending on jurisdiction. Governance tokens, which often provide voting rights, can resemble securities under laws like the U.S. SEC’s Howey Test if they offer profit expectations. Projects may face regulatory scrutiny, risking fines or operational bans. On the other hand, places like Utah and New Hampshire legally recognize DAOs. Despite these challenges, DAOs offer compelling advantages. Their decentralized nature ensures decisions are made collectively by token holders rather than concentrated in a central authority. This reduces risks of corruption, censorship, or bias, especially in global, community-driven projects. For example, DAOs can fund public goods or manage protocols without reliance on a single governing body, fostering inclusivity and fairness. Decentralization is vital for resisting centralized entities that might abuse control, ensuring open and transparent systems for all participants. Governance Tokens vs. DAOs Governance tokens are often associated with DAOs, but their presence doesn’t automatically make an entity a DAO. These tokens typically grant holders voting rights on decisions like protocol upgrades or fund allocations, but the level of decentralization varies widely. Some projects may issue governance tokens while retaining centralized control, where core teams have significant influence over decisions, limiting the "autonomous" nature expected in a DAO. Furthermore, governance tokens can be symbolic if voting doesn’t meaningfully impact operations or if major decisions are pre-determined by insiders. A genuine DAO uses governance tokens to distribute power across its community, enabling transparent, democratic decision-making. However, if smart contracts don’t execute decisions automatically or if off-chain mechanisms dominate, the entity fails to meet the core principles of a DAO. This way, we can argue that Obyte is the home of several DAO-like platforms with their own governance tokens and high levels of autonomy, including the DEX Oswap.io through its OSWAP Token and liquidity provider tokens, the Pythagorean Perpetual Futures, Counterstake bridge, and many more. They apply to specific dapps on Obyte, not Obyte network itself. This has recently changed. Since November 2024, it’s also possible to use GBYTE to vote on-chain for Order Providers (OPs) and several types of fees inside the network. This truly autonomous decentralization ensures that power is distributed among users, reducing reliance on centralized entities and fostering trust. For users, it means greater transparency, resilience, and control over the network’s evolution. Featured Vector Image by rawpixel / Freepik Picking a name to define Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs) could be tricky. Some people call them, indeed, organizations, while others also call them communities, entities, governance systems, corporations, or organizational structures. In some places, they’re legally recognized as companies or general partnerships. We can say that they’re a group of people (a sort of community, indeed) digitally united by a common cause, without centralized leadership. They manage common funds and have the right to vote through governance tokens and smart contracts. That’s how a DAO can work: with the rules of an algorithm on a Distributed Ledger, instead of any human middlemen. We can say that they’re a group of people (a sort of community, indeed) digitally united by a common cause, without centralized leadership. They manage common funds and have the right to vote through governance tokens and smart contracts. If you’ve been in the crypto world enough, maybe you’ve already participated in a DAO or something very similar, without even noticing. There are some famous DAOs around now, handling very popular DeFi platforms: Uniswap, AAVE, Arbitrum, Lido, Maker, Curve, ApeCoin, and so on. famous DAOs famous DAOs Potential Issues vs. Benefits The concept of DAOs gained significant attention with "The DAO" by Slock.it in 2016, an Ethereum-based project aimed at decentralized venture capital funding. While it raised over $150 million in ether (ETH), a flaw in its smart contract allowed an attacker to siphon funds, resulting in a controversial Ethereum hard fork to recover the stolen assets. This incident highlighted the security risks of DAOs, especially when smart contracts—immutable and transparent—contain vulnerabilities. "The DAO" by Slock.it "The DAO" by Slock.it Auditing code thoroughly is critical to avoid potentially catastrophic consequences. Another major issue could be legal uncertainty, depending on jurisdiction. Governance tokens, which often provide voting rights, can resemble securities under laws like the U.S. SEC’s Howey Test if they offer profit expectations. Projects may face regulatory scrutiny, risking fines or operational bans. On the other hand, places like Utah and New Hampshire legally recognize DAOs . legally recognize DAOs legally recognize DAOs Despite these challenges, DAOs offer compelling advantages. Their decentralized nature ensures decisions are made collectively by token holders rather than concentrated in a central authority. This reduces risks of corruption, censorship, or bias, especially in global, community-driven projects. For example, DAOs can fund public goods or manage protocols without reliance on a single governing body, fostering inclusivity and fairness. Decentralization is vital for resisting centralized entities that might abuse control, ensuring open and transparent systems for all participants. Their decentralized nature ensures decisions are made collectively by token holders rather than concentrated in a central authority. Governance Tokens vs. DAOs Governance tokens are often associated with DAOs, but their presence doesn’t automatically make an entity a DAO. These tokens typically grant holders voting rights on decisions like protocol upgrades or fund allocations, but the level of decentralization varies widely. Some projects may issue governance tokens while retaining centralized control, where core teams have significant influence over decisions, limiting the "autonomous" nature expected in a DAO. Governance tokens Governance tokens Furthermore, governance tokens can be symbolic if voting doesn’t meaningfully impact operations or if major decisions are pre-determined by insiders. A genuine DAO uses governance tokens to distribute power across its community, enabling transparent, democratic decision-making. However, if smart contracts don’t execute decisions automatically or if off-chain mechanisms dominate, the entity fails to meet the core principles of a DAO. A genuine DAO uses governance tokens to distribute power across its community, enabling transparent, democratic decision-making. This way, we can argue that Obyte is the home of several DAO-like platforms with their own governance tokens and high levels of autonomy, including the DEX Oswap.io through its OSWAP Token and liquidity provider tokens, the Pythagorean Perpetual Futures , Counterstake bridge , and many more. They apply to specific dapps on Obyte, not Obyte network itself. This has recently changed. Obyte Obyte Oswap.io Oswap.io OSWAP Token OSWAP Token Pythagorean Perpetual Futures Pythagorean Perpetual Futures Counterstake bridge Counterstake bridge Since November 2024, it’s also possible to use GBYTE to vote on-chain for Order Providers (OPs) and several types of fees inside the network. This truly autonomous decentralization ensures that power is distributed among users, reducing reliance on centralized entities and fostering trust. For users, it means greater transparency, resilience, and control over the network’s evolution. to vote on-chain to vote on-chain Featured Vector Image by rawpixel / Freepik Featured Vector Image by rawpixel / Freepik Freepik Freepik

Organizations? Communities? Entities? What Even is a DAO Anyway

Organisasies? Gemeenskappe? Entiteite? What Even is 'n DAO in elk geval

¿Organizaciones? ¿Comunidades? ¿Entidades? ¿Qué es una DAO?

Des organisations ? Des communautés ? Des entités ? Qu'est-ce qu'une DAO ?

Organisasi? Komunitas? Entitas? Apa itu DAO?

組織？コミュニティ？エンティティ？そもそもDAOとは何なのか

Organizacijos? Bendruomenės? Subjektai? Anyway, What Even yra DAO

Organizācijas? Kopienas? Vienības? What Even Anyway ir DAO

Mekgatlo? Ditšhaba? Ditheo? Seo Le ge e le DAO Anyway

¿Organizacionkuna? Ayllu llaqtakuna? Entidades nisqakuna? Ima Ashqa huk DAO Imayna kaptinpas

සංවිධාන? ප්රජාවන්? ආයතන? What Even කෙසේ වෙතත් DAO වේ

Mashirika? Jumuiya? Mashirika? What Even ni DAO Anyway

Mga organisasyon? Mga komunidad? Mga nilalang? What Even ay isang DAO Anyway

Table of Links Abstract and 1 Introduction 2 Background and Motivation 2.1 Decentralized Computing Infrastructure and Cloud 2.2 Advantages of DeFaaS 2.3 System Requirements 3 Overview of DeFaaS 4 Detailed Design of DeFaaS and 4.1 Decentralized Scheduling and Load Balancing 4.2 Decentralized Event Distribution 4.3 API Registration and Access Control 4.4 OAuth2.0 Support 4.5 Logging and Billing and 4.6 Trust Management 4.7 Supporting Multi-Cloud Service Mesh 5 Implementation and Evaluation 5.1 Implementations 5.2 Experiments 5.3 Evaluation 6 Related Work 7 Conclusions and References 5.3 Evaluation Multi-cloud event dissemination. Multi-cloud event distribution performance is evaluated. We first present the latency with different applications from remote nodes in Figure 2. For small messages (Figure 2), the latency varies significantly across different remote nodes. In particular, the maximum latency can be much higher than the median value. To evaluate the performance for a given message size on each node, we run the experiment 30 times for selected applications. For Figure 1 we see that when communicating between different clouds, what affects the event latency more is the different geographical locations than different cloud providers. Since most of the cloud providers are already very optimized, inter-cloud communications have a lesser impact than actual physical servers being in different geographical regions than our testbed and also from the different servers sending the different-sized packets to IPFS. Note that the differences between applications are small and negligible. Out current work is to integrate with a new decentralized network for disseminating information on top of the IPFS, called SmartPubSub [Agostinho et al.(2022)]. SmartPubSub leverages ScoutSubs, a completely decentralized protocol for event message distribution and a fast delivery protocol centered around the publisher. Based on the experiments with a network of containerized SmartPubSub nodes (in one region), [Agostinho et al.(2022)], the average event latency under normal situation is between 200 - 250ms. Effect of IPFS read operations. We measure performance of the downloading operations across clouds (data saved to the IPFS and retrieved using read operations by another node). Latency is determined by the length of time it takes for an operation to complete, and throughput is calculated by dividing the amount of data processed by the latency of the operation. We observe that the locations of the remote nodes do not have a major impact on the read latency. This is likely because the experimented applications often perform small read requests, which can result in high variance in read latency. When a node performs remote read operations, the resolving and downloading operations required by the local node significantly affect the I/O performance. Randomized load balancing. To evaluate the performance of randomized load balancing, we have developed a simulator for experiments. The simulator models the API gateways and routing of API calls to multi-cloud data centers. In the current version, API calls take the same unit time to complete, which can be easily extended to random completion time. The simulator allows us to explore load balancing performance of different heuristics: (i) a default design based on the standard power of two choices; (ii) a simplified heuristic called choice of two; and (iii) a baseline of no randomized load balancing. In the default design, when an API gateway of a cloud data center receives a call, it will randomly pick another cloud data center using on-chain random source. If the receiving data center is busier than the randomly picked data center, then the call will be forwarded to the randomly picked data center. In the choice of two heuristic, when an API gateway of a cloud data center receives a call, it will evaluate whether the receiving cloud has been overloaded (queued calls exceeding its configured capability). If the receiving cloud is overloaded, it will forward the call to a randomly picked data center. In the baseline, there is no randomized load balancing. Due to space limit, here we report the results assuming that calls should be evenly distributed to the data centers. Further, when a call is forwarded, gateway node will be randomly selected. We have simulated three settings, i.e., 6, 8, and 10 data centers. Results are averaged based on five runs of the simulation. Each run simulates 10,000 API calls. Table 2 shows the average API call queue times for different experiment scenarios. According to the results, the default implementation of randomized load balancing achieves the best performance in terms of average queue times comparing with the other options. The second option (choice of two) only performs slightly worse. The average queue times are the worst without randomized load balancing. Although the second option has slightly longer average queue times, it may still be a good candidate in the actual deployment because of its simplicity. In the second option, a gateway node is not required to track or query any state status of other data centers. The support for a lightweight implementation (no need to keep states of other data centers) may overcome its slight disadvantage in performance. Further, the heuristic and simulator can be modified to use multi-dimension utility that combines cost, decentralization and performance. Authors:
(1) Rabimba Karanjai, Department of Computer Science, University of Houston (rkaranjai@uh.edu);
(2) Lei Xu, Department of Computer Science, Kent State University;
(3) Lin Chen, Department of Computer Science, Texas Texh University;
(4) Nour Diallo, Department of Computer Science, University Of Houston;
(5) Weidong Shi, Department of Computer Science, University Of Houston. This paper is available on arxiv under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 DEED license. Table of Links Abstract and 1 Introduction Abstract and 1 Introduction 2 Background and Motivation 2.1 Decentralized Computing Infrastructure and Cloud 2.1 Decentralized Computing Infrastructure and Cloud 2.2 Advantages of DeFaaS 2.2 Advantages of DeFaaS 2.3 System Requirements 2.3 System Requirements 3 Overview of DeFaaS 3 Overview of DeFaaS 4 Detailed Design of DeFaaS and 4.1 Decentralized Scheduling and Load Balancing 4 Detailed Design of DeFaaS and 4.1 Decentralized Scheduling and Load Balancing 4.2 Decentralized Event Distribution 4.2 Decentralized Event Distribution 4.3 API Registration and Access Control 4.3 API Registration and Access Control 4.4 OAuth2.0 Support 4.4 OAuth2.0 Support 4.5 Logging and Billing and 4.6 Trust Management 4.5 Logging and Billing and 4.6 Trust Management 4.7 Supporting Multi-Cloud Service Mesh 4.7 Supporting Multi-Cloud Service Mesh 5 Implementation and Evaluation 5.1 Implementations 5.1 Implementations 5.2 Experiments 5.2 Experiments 5.3 Evaluation 5.3 Evaluation 6 Related Work 6 Related Work 7 Conclusions and References 7 Conclusions and References 5.3 Evaluation Multi-cloud event dissemination. Multi-cloud event distribution performance is evaluated. We first present the latency with different applications from remote nodes in Figure 2. For small messages (Figure 2), the latency varies significantly across different remote nodes. In particular, the maximum latency can be much higher than the median value. Multi-cloud event dissemination. To evaluate the performance for a given message size on each node, we run the experiment 30 times for selected applications. For Figure 1 we see that when communicating between different clouds, what affects the event latency more is the different geographical locations than different cloud providers. Since most of the cloud providers are already very optimized, inter-cloud communications have a lesser impact than actual physical servers being in different geographical regions than our testbed and also from the different servers sending the different-sized packets to IPFS. Note that the differences between applications are small and negligible. Out current work is to integrate with a new decentralized network for disseminating information on top of the IPFS, called SmartPubSub [Agostinho et al.(2022)]. SmartPubSub leverages ScoutSubs, a completely decentralized protocol for event message distribution and a fast delivery protocol centered around the publisher. Based on the experiments with a network of containerized SmartPubSub nodes (in one region), [Agostinho et al.(2022)], the average event latency under normal situation is between 200 - 250ms. Effect of IPFS read operations. We measure performance of the downloading operations across clouds (data saved to the IPFS and retrieved using read operations by another node). Latency is determined by the length of time it takes for an operation to complete, and throughput is calculated by dividing the amount of data processed by the latency of the operation. We observe that the locations of the remote nodes do not have a major impact on the read latency. This is likely because the experimented applications often perform small read requests, which can result in high variance in read latency. When a node performs remote read operations, the resolving and downloading operations required by the local node significantly affect the I/O performance. Effect of IPFS read operations. Randomized load balancing. To evaluate the performance of randomized load balancing, we have developed a simulator for experiments. The simulator models the API gateways and routing of API calls to multi-cloud data centers. In the current version, API calls take the same unit time to complete, which can be easily extended to random completion time. The simulator allows us to explore load balancing performance of different heuristics: (i) a default design based on the standard power of two choices; (ii) a simplified heuristic called choice of two; and (iii) a baseline of no randomized load balancing. In the default design, when an API gateway of a cloud data center receives a call, it will randomly pick another cloud data center using on-chain random source. If the receiving data center is busier than the Randomized load balancing. randomly picked data center, then the call will be forwarded to the randomly picked data center. In the choice of two heuristic, when an API gateway of a cloud data center receives a call, it will evaluate whether the receiving cloud has been overloaded (queued calls exceeding its configured capability). If the receiving cloud is overloaded, it will forward the call to a randomly picked data center. In the baseline, there is no randomized load balancing. Due to space limit, here we report the results assuming that calls should be evenly distributed to the data centers. Further, when a call is forwarded, gateway node will be randomly selected. We have simulated three settings, i.e., 6, 8, and 10 data centers. Results are averaged based on five runs of the simulation. Each run simulates 10,000 API calls. Table 2 shows the average API call queue times for different experiment scenarios. According to the results, the default implementation of randomized load balancing achieves the best performance in terms of average queue times comparing with the other options. The second option (choice of two) only performs slightly worse. The average queue times are the worst without randomized load balancing. Although the second option has slightly longer average queue times, it may still be a good candidate in the actual deployment because of its simplicity. In the second option, a gateway node is not required to track or query any state status of other data centers. The support for a lightweight implementation (no need to keep states of other data centers) may overcome its slight disadvantage in performance. Further, the heuristic and simulator can be modified to use multi-dimension utility that combines cost, decentralization and performance. Authors: (1) Rabimba Karanjai, Department of Computer Science, University of Houston (rkaranjai@uh.edu); (2) Lei Xu, Department of Computer Science, Kent State University; (3) Lin Chen, Department of Computer Science, Texas Texh University; (4) Nour Diallo, Department of Computer Science, University Of Houston; (5) Weidong Shi, Department of Computer Science, University Of Houston. Authors: Authors: (1) Rabimba Karanjai, Department of Computer Science, University of Houston (rkaranjai@uh.edu); (2) Lei Xu, Department of Computer Science, Kent State University; (3) Lin Chen, Department of Computer Science, Texas Texh University; (4) Nour Diallo, Department of Computer Science, University Of Houston; (5) Weidong Shi, Department of Computer Science, University Of Houston. This paper is available on arxiv under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 DEED license. This paper is available on arxiv under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 DEED license. available on arxiv available on arxiv

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