Blockchain news and developer summaries

Researchers discovered a social engineering campaign targeting finance and crypto sectors using a malicious Obsidian vault. Victims are tricked into enabling community plugins, triggering the PHANTOMPULSE RAT. This malware features a sophisticated blockchain-based C2 mechanism for resilience, enabling full system control on Windows and macOS. Defensive measures include plugin restrictions and user training.

Freenet is a peer-to-peer decentralized platform that enables unstoppable communication, collaboration, and commerce. By utilizing open protocols and a small-world network, it eliminates the need for central servers. Developers can build serverless, cloud-free applications using Rust and TypeScript, while users benefit from private, censorship-resistant, browser-based web experiences.

Monero uses RandomX for its proof of work, a mechanism designed to be CPU-friendly by executing random programs on a specialized virtual machine. Unlike Bitcoin's SHA-256, which favors ASICs, RandomX forces miners to utilize memory-intensive operations, floating-point math, and branch handling, effectively neutralizing the advantage of specialized mining hardware to ensure network decentralization.