A newly released map and digital dataset called Itiner-e expands the known length of the Roman Empire’s road network by over 110,000 km.
Itiner-e is the most intricate and comprehensive open digital dataset of roads throughout the Roman Empire. Image credit: de Soto et al., doi: 10.1038/s41597-025-06140-z.
During its peak in the second century AD, the Roman Empire boasted a population exceeding 55 million and extended from present-day Britain to Egypt and Syria.
While the extensive road network facilitated development and maintenance, maps remain incomplete, and existing digitized versions are of low resolution.
“The study of Roman roads has a long-standing history,” remarked Tom Brumans, a researcher at Aarhus University, along with his colleagues.
“A plethora of information about roads has been confirmed through archaeological excavations, surveys, milestones placed regularly along Roman routes, and historical texts like the Antoninian Itinerary and the Poitingeriana Table, which offer a detailed regional overview of key connections between settlements and Roman roads.”
“However, the pursuit of identifying and locating this diverse body of research is complicated by a lack of comprehensive integration and digitization across the empire.”
Researchers employed archaeological and historical records, topographic maps, and satellite imagery to compile the Itiner-e dataset.
This dataset includes 299,171 km of roads, covering an area of approximately 4 million km, a marked increase from the prior estimate of 188,555 km.2.
The growth in road coverage is attributed to enhanced documentation in the Iberian Peninsula, Greece, and North Africa, as well as adjustments to existing road routes based on geographical realities.
This includes the provision for roads traversing mountains to follow winding paths, rather than straight lines.
Itiner-e encompasses 14,769 road segments, with 103,478 km (34.6%) classified as primary roads and 195,693 km (65.4%) as secondary roads.
Only 2.7% of the road locations are known with certainty, while 89.8% remain less precise, and 7.4% are based on hypotheses.
“Itiner-e is the most detailed and comprehensive open-access digitization of Roman roads, and it also highlights existing knowledge gaps in the road system,” the authors stated.
“They emphasize that Itiner-e does not reflect temporal changes in the road network, and further studies are necessary to explore this across the Roman Empire.”
“Itiner-e could serve as a valuable resource for future research on the impact of Roman roads on connectivity, governance, migration, and disease transmission within the empire.”
For maps and datasets, refer to the paper published in Scientific Data.
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P. De Soto et al. 2025. Itiner-e: A high-resolution dataset of roads in the Roman Empire. Scientific Data December 1731. doi: 10.1038/s41597-025-06140-z
A new expansive map of the Roman road system reveals that the empire’s land transport network has effectively grown by nearly 60% and is accessible to all. You can explore it online.
The initiative, named Itiner-e, combines topographical mapping, satellite images, and centuries of historical documentation, and claims to be the first publicly available dataset of this nature.
“It emerged from significant frustration,” states Tom Bluemans of Aarhus University, Denmark. “This is among the most enigmatic areas in Roman archaeology. There’s a saying: ‘All roads lead to Rome.’ So why can’t we access a download of all the roads in Rome? Where are they located?”
Brughmans and his team constructed a representation of the road network around 150 AD, utilizing extensive evidence from research and outlining more accurate paths of previously identified routes. They also assigned confidence ratings to each road segment based on the reliability of the source.
Their findings indicate that the total length of the road network in that period was around 299,171 kilometers, significantly surpassing the government’s previous estimate of 188,555 kilometers from the Barrington Atlas of the Greek and Roman World.
The dataset reveals that even though there is compelling evidence for starting and ending points of many roads, only 2.8% of the entire network can be pinpointed accurately (within 50 meters in mountainous regions and 200 meters in flatter areas).
Roman route through mountains to Delphi in Ancient Greece
itinerary-e
For the Blueman family, this highlights the challenges associated with securing resources to excavate an entire Roman road, resulting in many efforts remaining unfinished. Additionally, major roads have undergone numerous reconstructions throughout history, complicating efforts to uncover the original paths.
While Roman roads are renowned for their straightness, it’s a misconception that they were always constructed that way. Katherine Fletcher from Manchester Metropolitan University in the UK, who did not participate in the study, comments, “Straight paths weren’t always economical or practical, particularly through mountainous regions.” She adds, “In many instances, if a route already existed, the Romans adapted it instead of forging an entirely new one.”
Gaining a deeper understanding of the Roman road network could enhance our grasp of many pivotal events in European history. According to Blumans, developments like early Christianity, widespread migration, and continent-wide pandemics were all influenced by the Roman road system.
Despite their significance, roads are frequently overshadowed because they lack the allure of grand amphitheaters or gladiators, Fletcher notes. “It’s akin to that famous scene in Monty Python where they discuss what the Romans did for us, and they mention, ‘And roads…well, clearly roads! Not to mention roads.’
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Cybercrime investigators from Europe and North America have announced the dismantling of a major malware operation run by Russian criminals, following extensive collaboration with law enforcement agencies from the UK, Canada, Denmark, the Netherlands, France, Germany, and the US.
International arrest warrants have been issued for 20 suspects, with charges against 16 individuals sealed by European investigators based in Russia.
According to reports, the operation also involves the infamous Qakbot and Danabot malware leaders, Rustam Rafailevich Gallyamov, 48, known as Jimmbee, and Artem Aleksandrovich Kalinkin, 34, known as Onix, as stated by the US Department of Justice.
Cyberattacks aimed at government destabilization, financial theft, or phishing emails are becoming increasingly severe. Recently, high street retailer Marks & Spencer fell victim to such an attack in the UK.
The Bundeskriminalamt (BKA), led by the German crime agency, has launched a public appeal to locate 18 suspects allegedly linked to the Qakbot malware family as well as another malware known as Trickbot.
The BKA and its international partners report that many of the suspects are Russian nationals. Among them is Vitalii Nikolayevich Kovalev, 36, who has already been indicted in the US, and is among the BKA’s most wanted individuals.
Kovalev is believed to be behind the Conti group, which is regarded as one of the most sophisticated and organized ransomware syndicates. German investigators describe him as “one of the most notorious and successful email attackers in the history of cybercrime.”
Using aliases like Stern and Ben, the BKA alleges he has targeted hundreds of companies globally, extracting significant ransom payments.
Kovalev, 36, originally from Volgorod, is thought to reside in Moscow, where several companies are registered under his name. In 2023, US investigators identified him as a member of Trickbot.
Authorities also believe he leads other criminal groups, including Conti, Royal, and Blacksuit (established in 2022). His reported Cryptowallet holds approximately 1 billion euros.
The BKA, along with its international partners, has determined that there is enough evidence to issue 20 arrest warrants for 37 individuals involved.
A US law firm in California has sealed the details of charges against 16 defendants accused of “developing and deploying Danabot malware.”
The criminal activities targeting victims’ computers have been “managed and executed” by Russia-based cybercriminal organizations, which have infected over 300,000 computers globally, with significant incidents reported in the United States, Australia, Poland, India, and Italy.
The malware was advertised on a Russian criminal forum and has been linked to “espionage activities aimed at military, diplomatic, governmental, and non-governmental organizations.”
As a result of this variant, separate servers have been established for storing data stolen from these victims, presumably in the Russian Federation.
In Europe, the BKA’s most wanted list includes Roman Mikhailovich Procop, a 36-year-old Russian-speaking Ukrainian, who is suspected to be associated with Qakbot.
Operation Endgame was initiated by German authorities in 2022. BKA President Holger Münch has stated that Germany is a significant target for cybercriminals.
The BKA is specifically investigating the alleged involvement of suspects in gang-related activities and commercial terrorism, along with their association with transnational criminal organizations.
Between 2010 and 2022, the Conti Group primarily targeted US hospitals, with a noticeable increase in attacks during the COVID pandemic. US authorities have offered a reward of $10 million for information leading to their capture.
Most suspects are believed to be operating within Russia, though some may also be active in Dubai. While Münch noted that extradition to Europe or the US is unlikely, their identities remain crucial in the ongoing investigations.
“We have once again demonstrated that our strategy can be effective even in the anonymous darknets with Operation Endgame 2.0.”
A TikTok video features a young man showcasing a pile of $100 bills. Another appears with designer clothing, while a third man dances, flaunting a heavy gold chain. They brag to their devoted followers about their journey to wealth.
One caption in the video reads, “BM got me a new car,” and another boasts, “$5,000 in just a few hours.”
Unlike traditional influencers focused on travel, brands, or culinary delights, their appeal hinges on criminal activities. All individuals in question are based in Nigeria, and their fraudulent schemes target social media users, predominantly in the US and other Western nations, manipulating romantic interests and victimizing individuals by spreading explicit images.
The intimidation escalates with the distribution of the victims’ images alongside demands for money.
The self-proclaimed con artist identifies as “BM Boys,” where “BM” refers to a chilling term for predatory schemes. Hundreds of young men from West Africa are involved in these operations. Their videos, flaunting lavish lifestyles, have attracted hundreds, if not thousands, of followers on TikTok, garnering admiration and igniting ambitions among other young men eager to join the scams.
“Please tell me the boss [the] one!” a follower commented on a popular BM boys TikTok. “[In] Please give me the name of God. Share your job details.”
Some BM Boys accounts have amassed hundreds of thousands of followers. The Guardian has identified 22 TikTok accounts run by these self-proclaimed BM Boys and interviewed a 24-year-old Nigerian man who has been actively involved for eight years, claiming to have raised nearly $100,000 from victims during that time.
“For me, it’s straightforward,” said one scammer who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss illegal activities. “We’re always on our phones—if you’re not working, you won’t eat.”
Finding Victims on Instagram and Flexing on TikTok
One of the primary targets for BM Boys is teenage boys in the United States and beyond. According to a 2023 report by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), financial sextortion cases involving minors rose sharply, totaling 26,718 from just 10,731 in 2022. Since 2021, at least 46 American teens have died by suicide after being victims of these scams.
In 2024, Meta announced that it had deleted 63,000 Instagram accounts reportedly linked to sextortion schemes from Nigeria. Despite this crackdown, Instagram remains a platform where perpetrators can identify and engage potential targets, as noted by human trafficking experts. Meanwhile, TikTok serves as a showcase for BM Boys, allowing them to flaunt their success and recruit newcomers.
“Others are eager to join these scams because they see the profits. They flaunt money, luxurious clubs, and travels,” says Paul Rafil, an expert in online exploitation. “They exploit these platforms and their influencer status to generate income.”
These individuals lead enviable lifestyles, often employing experienced figures known as “bosses” who manage new scammers termed “talks.” Rafil explains that these bosses take a cut of the profits.
“These ‘talks’ are tasked with creating fake social media profiles, engaging potential victims online,” Rafil elaborated. “But when it comes to transferring money through cash apps, Bitcoin wallets, and other financial methods, the bosses take the reins.”
A TikTok spokesperson stated, “We designed TikTok for creativity and do not tolerate any content or behavior that promotes sextortion, as it is harmful to teens.”
Tips and Tricks for Blackmailing
A critical aspect of their scheme involves building trust by creating a façade that their interactions are with attractive women in the same locale as their targets. Many BM Boys post “BM Updates” on TikTok, providing tips and education to followers on improving their sextortion techniques.
“Millions aspire to get into this. If you don’t learn it, you won’t succeed,” remarked one scammer who regularly shares BM updates and has a growing follower base.
BM updates include copying scripts, sharing pictures of girls to impersonate, tutorials on hacking social media accounts, and advice on utilizing Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) to avoid detection. They also provide scripts for creating menacing audio messages to coerce victims into compliance and guidance on where to find potential targets, including dating sites.
To connect with victims, offenders often use tactics termed “bombing,” where they infiltrate various online communities, including those related to schools, sports teams, and popular culture. They frequently discuss country music stars, Hollywood celebrities, or fans of popular shows, sharing insights on how to target such demographics.
“They do this for two reasons: to scam those who accept their follow requests and to make their fake accounts seem more legitimate when mutual friends exist,” Rafil noted. “Often they’ll say, ‘Oh, I discovered you through mutual suggestions on Instagram.’
To bolster their credibility as Americans, BM Boys avidly consume American news, sports, and pop culture content, according to a scary mailer.
Through thousands of attempts, these scripts and strategies have evolved into high-pressure systems designed to lure victims into compromising situations. They usually initiate image exchanges by sending stolen nude photos from sites where sex workers create content, Rafil mentioned.
Perpetrators then demand between $500 and $3,000, threatening to share explicit images with the victim’s social media connections. They employ fear tactics by editing victims’ photos into fake newspaper headlines or broadcast news images.
“Sometimes I call them to let them know who they’re dealing with. When the victim sees his photos on TV or in the news, they’ll think, ‘Oh, I can’t block this person,’” he claimed. “They’ll see it featured in trashy news broadcasts,” he mentioned.
No Remorse, Only Money
It’s no accident that threatening individuals flaunt their exploits on TikTok. One con artist expressed skepticism about reports indicating that numerous US teens have died by suicide following sextortion targeting.
“I don’t feel guilty; that’s not the sole reason for their suicides. I’m not sure if BM is responsible for these tragedies,” said the scammer. “If someone tells me they’re considering suicide, I assume they’re joking.”
He recounted how he was orphaned as a child when his mother died during childbirth, leading him to view sexual exploitation as merely a job despite its emotional toll.
“When I take a photo, I feel nothing for the victim. I must survive as a living being,” he remarked.
This lack of remorse shown by BM Boys has caused immense trauma for families, such as John Demay’s. In 2022, her son Jordan took his life at 17 after being targeted by three Nigerian men on Instagram who impersonated teenage girls. Two of them, Samuel Ogosi and his younger brother Samson Ogosi, have since been extradited to the US and are now serving a 17-year, six-month prison sentence.
During sentencing, the judge described the brothers as exhibiting “a blatant disregard for life,” noting that they continued their sextortion scheme even after learning of Jordan’s suicide.
“They continued their activities using the same script and attitude, fully aware that Jordan had ended his life as a consequence of their actions,” Demay stated.
Experts emphasize that the balance between privacy and safety on social media for children must differ from that of adults, urging platforms to strengthen protections for minors.
“You’re working with youth who may act impulsively. They might not respond adequately to warnings. Given their vulnerability, proactive measures are crucial,” they recommend.
Meta has implemented various changes recently to safeguard younger users. In a statement, the company mentions alerting teens when they interact with users from different countries, and blurring explicit images sent from minor accounts.
A Meta spokesperson commented, “Sextortion is a heinous crime. We have the ability to dismantle networks of fraudsters, share information with other companies, and support law enforcement in prosecuting these offenders.”
Since September, Instagram has established default privacy settings for accounts, making it harder for unauthorized individuals to view follower lists. However, when a teen accepts a friendship request, their follower list remains accessible. Enhancing privacy further, such as restricting follower lists from even approved followers, could better protect teens from being targeted by sextortionists, Rafil pointed out. “It shouldn’t be as easy as flipping through a directory to find a teenage boy or girl.”
Demay expressed that social media companies “have the ability to implement necessary safeguards within their platforms but have chosen not to do so.”
The PlayStation Network (PSN) is currently experiencing technical difficulties, causing online gamers worldwide to be unable to access weekend events.
PSN is a service utilized by Sony PlayStation console users to connect to online gaming networks, enabling them to play with other gamers globally.
The outage started in the UK late on Friday night, affecting approximately 71,000 gamers who have reported the problem on the PlayStation website, with many losing access to the online game lobby, PlayStation store, and their online accounts.
PSN offers subscriptions at different price points, ranging from £13.49 per month to £119.99 per month for a premium subscription. Users have been expressing their frustration over these costs when addressing Sony.
During weekends, specific games hold special tournaments and events, such as Electronic Arts’ FC 25 with its “weekend leagues” on the ultimate team platform. Additionally, Call of Duty fans will miss out on promotional weekends and Double XP events in Black Ops 6 and Warzone due to the ongoing PSN disruption.
Many disgruntled PlayStation users have taken to social media to voice their displeasure with the outage through memes, jokes, and complaints.
One user wrote, “Let’s be honest. Everyone should get free PS Plus this month. Paying a monthly fee only for the network to go down over the weekend is unacceptable.” Another user expressed frustration about missing out on gaming time due to the server issues.
Sony is actively working to resolve the problem and has advised users to check their digital services for updates. The Guardian has reached out to PlayStation, Electronic Arts, and Activision Blizzard for comments on the situation.
In the UK, thousands of people are currently experiencing issues making or receiving calls due to a network outage affecting Three.
Downdetector, a website that tracks outages, has received over 10,000 reports of problems across mobile networks on Thursday.
Customers of smaller mobile providers like Smarty and iD Mobile are also impacted as they rely on Three’s network.
While Three is working on resolving the issue, there is no specific timeline for a fix. iD Mobile has informed customers that engineers have identified and isolated the problem.
Three has approximately 10.5 million customers in the UK, with many expressing frustration on social media due to the disruption.
Some customers have reported missing important appointments or feeling stranded due to the inability to make calls.
It is uncertain if customers will receive compensation for the disruption, with Ofcom suggesting that refunds may be appropriate.
Following approval from the Competition and Markets Authority, Three’s merger with Vodafone has been finalized in a £16.5bn deal.
In a statement on X, Three acknowledged the issue with voice services and assured customers that data and emergency calls will not be affected.
ITonga was plunged into darkness in the aftermath of a massive volcanic eruption in the early days of 2022. The undersea eruption, 1,000 times more powerful than the Hiroshima bomb, sent tsunamis into Tonga’s neighbouring islands and covered the islands’ white coral sand in ash.
The force of the eruption of the Hunga Tonga Hunga Ha’apai volcano cut off internet connections to Tonga, cutting off communications at the very moment the crisis began.
The scale of the disruption was clear when the undersea cables that carry the country’s internet were restored weeks later. The loss of connectivity hampered restoration efforts and dealt a devastating blow to businesses and local finances that rely on remittances from overseas.
The disaster has exposed extreme vulnerabilities in the infrastructure that underpins how the Internet works.
Nicole Starosielski, a professor at the University of California, Berkeley and author of “The Undersea Network,” says modern life is inseparable from the running internet.
In that sense, it’s a lot like drinking water: a utility that underpins our very existence, and like water, few people understand what it takes to get it from distant reservoirs to our kitchen taps.
Modern consumers have come to imagine the internet as something invisible floating in the atmosphere, an invisible “cloud” that rains data down on our heads. Many believe everything is wireless because our devices aren’t connected by cables, but the reality is far more unusual, Starosielski says.
An undersea internet cable laid on the ocean floor. Photo: Mint Images/Getty Images/Mint Images RF
Nearly all internet traffic — Zoom calls, streaming movies, emails, social media feeds — reaches us through high-speed fibre optics laid beneath the ocean. These are the veins of the modern world, stretching for around 1.5 million kilometres beneath the surface of the ocean, connecting countries through physical cables that conduct the internet.
Speaking on WhatsApp, Starosielski explains that the data transmitting her voice is sent from her phone to a nearby cell tower. “That’s basically the only radio hop in the entire system,” she says.
It travels underground at the speed of light from a mobile phone tower via fibre optic cable on land, then to a cable landing station (usually near water), then down to the ocean floor and finally to the cable landing station in Australia, where The Guardian spoke to Starosielski.
“Our voices are literally at the bottom of the ocean,” she says.
Spies, Sabotage, and Sharks
The fact that data powering financial, government and some military communications travels through cables little thicker than a hose and barely protected by the ocean water above it has become a source of concern for lawmakers around the world in recent years.
In 2017, NATO officials reported that Russian submarines were stepping up surveillance of internet cables in the North Atlantic, and in 2018 the Trump administration imposed sanctions on Russian companies that allegedly provided “underwater capabilities” to Moscow for the purpose of monitoring undersea networks.
At the time, Jim Langevin, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, said a Russian attack on the undersea cables would cause “significant harm to our economy and daily life.”
Workers install the 2Africa submarine cable on the beach in Amanzimtoti, South Africa, in 2023. Photo: Logan Ward/Reuters
Targeting internet cables has long been a weapon in Russia’s hybrid warfare arsenal: When Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, Moscow cut off the main cable connection to the peninsula, seizing control of the internet infrastructure and allowing the Kremlin to spread disinformation.
Global conflicts have also proven to wreak unexpected havoc on internet cable systems: In February, Iran-backed Houthi militants attacked a cargo ship in the Red Sea. The sinking of the Rubimaa likely cut three undersea cables in the region, disrupting much of the internet traffic between Asia and Europe.
The United States and its allies have expressed serious concerns that adversaries could eavesdrop on undersea cables to obtain “personal information, data, and communications.” A 2022 Congressional report highlighted the growing likelihood that Russia or China could gain access to undersea cable systems.
It’s an espionage technique the US knows all too well: in 2013, The Guardian revealed how Britain’s Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) had hacked into internet cable networks to access vast troves of communications between innocent people and suspected targets. This information was then passed on to the NSA.
Documents released by whistleblower Edward Snowden also show that undersea cables connecting Australia and New Zealand to the US were tapped, giving the NSA access to internet data in Australia and New Zealand.
Despite the numerous dangers and loud warnings from Western governments, there have been few calls for more to be done to secure cable networks, and many believe the threat is exaggerated.
The 2022 EU report said there were “no published and verified reports suggesting a deliberate attack on cable networks by any actor, including Russia, China or non-state groups.”
“Perhaps this suggests that the threat scenarios being discussed may be exaggerated.”
One expert speaking to the Guardian offered a more blunt assessment, describing the threat of sabotage as “nonsense”.
TeleGeography map of undersea internet cables connecting the US, UK and Europe. Photo: TeleGeography/https://www.submarinecablemap.com/
The data bears this out, showing that sharks, anchors and fishing pose a bigger threat to the global Internet infrastructure than Russian espionage. A US report on the issue said the main threat to networks is “accidental human-involved accidents.” On average, a cable is cut “every three days.”
“In 2017, a vessel accidentally cut an undersea communications cable off the coast of Somalia, causing a three-week internet outage and costing the country $10 million per day,” the report said.
An Unequal Internet
But for many experts, the biggest risk to the internet isn’t sabotage, espionage or even rogue anchors, but the uneven spread of the globe-spanning cable infrastructure that ties together the world’s digital networks.
“There aren’t cables everywhere,” Starosielski said. “The North Atlantic has a high concentration of cables connecting the U.S. and Europe, but the South Atlantic doesn’t have as many.”
“So you’re seeing diversity in terms of some parts of the world being more connected and having multiple routes in case of a disconnection.”
As of 2023, there are more than 500 communication cables on the ocean floor. Map of the world’s submarine cable networks These are found to be mainly concentrated in economic and population centres.
The uneven distribution of cables is most pronounced in the Pacific, where a territory like Guam, with a population of just 170,000 and home to a U.S. naval base, has more than 10 internet cables connecting the island, compared with seven in New Zealand and just one in Tonga, both with a population of more than 5 million.
The aftermath of the 2022 Tonga eruption spurred governments around the world to act, commissioning reports on the vulnerabilities of existing undersea cable networks while technology companies worked to harden networks to prevent a similar event from happening again.
Last month, Tonga’s internet went down again.
Damage to undersea internet cables connecting the island’s networks caused power outages across much of the country and disruption to local businesses.
For now, economic fundamentals favor laying cables to Western countries and emerging markets where digital demand is surging. Despite warnings of sabotage and accidental damage, without market imperatives to build more resilient networks, there is a real risk that places like Tonga will continue to be cut off, threatening the very promise of digital fairness that the internet is based on, experts say.
According to the European Commission, Meta, led by Mark Zuckerberg, has breached the EU’s new digital law with its advertising strategy. This model involved charging users for access to ad-free versions of Facebook and Instagram.
Last year, Meta introduced a “pay or consent” system to comply with EU data privacy regulations. Under this model, users could pay a monthly fee to use Facebook and Instagram without ads and with their personal data not utilized for advertising. Non-paying users agree to have their data used for personalized ads during the signing-up process.
The European Commission, the executive body of the EU, stated that this model does not align with the Digital Markets Act (DMA) created to regulate big tech companies. The Commission’s initial findings of the “Pay or Consent” investigation revealed that this model coerces users into consenting to data collection across various platforms. Additionally, users are not given the option to choose services that use less data but are similar to the ad-supported versions of Facebook and Instagram.
The Commission expressed that this alternative does not offer users a comparable less personalized version of the Meta network, forcing them to agree to data integration. To comply with the DMA, Meta would need to launch a version of Facebook or Instagram using less user data.
In response, a Meta spokesperson mentioned that the new model was designed to adhere to regulatory requirements such as the DMA. They highlighted that subscriptions as an alternative to advertising are a common business model and were implemented to address various obligations.
The European Commission is required to complete its investigation by the end of March next year. Meta may face fines of up to 10% of its global turnover, amounting to $13.5 billion (£10.5 billion). The Commission recently found Apple guilty of violating the DMA by impeding competition in its app store.
Streamr announced the launch of Streamr Network 1.0 mainnet, a milestone that marks the completion of the original network. 2017 roadmap. 1.0 introduces the full deployment of the $DATA token incentive layer, transforming the network into a fully featured, fully decentralized protocol, run and operated by users.
The culmination of more than six years of research and development, three incentivized testnets, and overcoming technical hurdles that caused a last-minute launch cancellation, Streamr 1.0 marks the arrival of decentralized data broadcasting.
Main features of Streamr 1.0:
Fully expanded tokenomics: activation of $DATA Token Incentive Layermeans that the Streamr network can operate autonomously from teams as a neutral, fully distributed messaging protocol.
Introducing new network roles: Unleash the power of a peer-to-peer marketplace between sponsors, operators, and delegators.
Stream sponsorship: Sponsors create and fund sponsorships, and operators earn income from them. These smart contracts manage reward distribution between operators who run the nodes and help relay data within the nodes.
Trackerless network architecture: Moving to a trackerless architecture. Leverages a globally distributed hash table (DHT) to enhance efficiency and scalability.
New benefits for node operators: 1.0 gives node operators the opportunity to earn more revenue by allowing them to accept delegations and receive a portion of the revenue.1.0 also brings other enhancements for node operators, including the removal of per-IP node limits, instant reward claims from active sponsorships, and other quality of life improvements.
New use cases are unlocked:
1.0 sets the stage for exploring new use cases in areas such as decentralized physical infrastructure networks (DePIN), decentralized AI, and decentralized video streaming.
decentralized video streaming: Streamr is exploring decentralized live video streaming, testing its ability to deliver scalable and stable video feeds to viewers at scale. By leveraging the network's peer-to-peer protocols, Streamr eliminates dependence on centralized distribution points and enables viewers to contribute directly to the broadcast network while consuming content, optimizing efficiency and scalability.
Depin: Streamr 1.0 enhances DePIN's ability to move from a centralized data pipeline to a fully decentralized contributor array. The network's serverless, secure, and scalable framework is ideal for broadcasting data between connected devices and moving DePIN to a truly decentralized architecture.
decentralized AI: The 1.0 milestone can be: Transforming artificial intelligence We position Streamr as a neutral data layer, providing a secure data stream for AI development, trust, and transparency. Streamr allows AI models to connect with each other, share insights, connect to real-time tuning data and live content delivery, and collectively power intelligence. By integrating with decentralized frameworks, you can take a step toward making your AI operations more open, verifiable, and modern.
These changes, along with exploring new use cases, highlight Streamr's commitment to pushing the boundaries of what is possible in the realm of decentralized technology.
About streamers
streamer is building a real-time data protocol for the decentralized web. This includes a scalable, low-latency, secure P2P network for data broadcast, distribution, and exchange. As part of our vision, Streamr built The Hub, a dApp that champions open data, allowing DePin, AI, and Web3 builders to decentralize their tech stacks with real-time data flows. The Streamr project was started by real-time data veterans with experience in algorithmic trading and financial markets.
contact
CMO mark little streamer network media@streamr.net
It's easy to name people who have evolved human thinking, from Jane Austen to Albert Einstein, Zaha Hadid to Ai Weiwei, but why are these people so much more creative than others? It's much more difficult to explain what kind of thinking you do. Are their brains just built that way, or can anyone learn it? The mystery of creativity has long puzzled scientists. Now, researchers are finally making some progress towards closing the curtain. Even better, their insights can help us all exercise a little more original thinking.
Some of them are exciting insights This stems from the “dual process theory” of creativity, which distinguishes between idea generation and idea evaluation. Idea generation involves digging deep into existing knowledge for seeds of inspiration. Perhaps it is done by drawing analogies from completely different areas. Free association is key at this stage, as one thought leads to another, more original insight. The second phase, idea evaluation, requires you to apply a more critical eye to select the ideas that best fit your goals. Novelists must decide whether strange, supernatural plot twists will excite readers or turn them off. Engineers must consider whether a fish-inspired airplane would be practical and efficient. Large projects require these two stages to be repeated many times during the long and winding journey from concept to completion.
Brain scans of people engaged in creative problem solving suggest that idea generation and evaluation relies on…
French military and cybersecurity experts have identified a Moscow-based network that is spreading propaganda and disinformation across Western Europe.
France’s Agency Viguinum, established in 2021 to detect digital interference from foreign groups influencing public opinion, stated that it was unclear whether Russia was involved online in the lead-up to the European elections and other important votes this year, paving the way for a new wave of operations.
The online network, named Portal Combat, consists of at least 193 sites spreading pro-Russian propaganda supporting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and criticizing the Kiev government. The disinformation is spread through social media sites and messaging apps targeting people who propagate conspiracy theories.
Researchers at Biginum identified and analyzed the network between September and December last year, tracing the massive disinformation campaign back to Moscow. One pro-Russian channel on the French Telegram app publishes up to nine articles an hour almost continuously.
The European Commission, NATO, and UN agencies have classified disinformation as one of the biggest threats to democracy in 2024, recognizing it as a national security issue.
UN Information Secretary-General Melissa Fleming stated that disinformation was being used to create more suspicion and hatred, weakening peacekeeping forces.
EU chief diplomat Josep Borrell described this new war as being about words and ideas that can colonize minds, not about bombs that can kill people.
Vera Yulova, the EU’s vice-president for values and transparency, expressed the EU’s determination to fight back against Kremlin’s actions to spread propaganda and interfere in democracy, welcoming the strong determination of France, Germany, and Poland.
French defense experts noted that sites linked to disinformation networks do not produce original material, instead flooding the internet with materials from pro-Russian sources since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The Biginum report revealed that the disinformation network is directly contributing to the polarization of digital public debate in the Francophone world and is targeting Russian communities in Ukraine and several Western countries.
Furthermore, Biginum identified three “ecosystems” involved in the propaganda campaign.
Another network of websites primarily targets Russian-speaking audiences in Ukraine and began operating just over a month after the Russian invasion, delivering propaganda focused on the Ukraine conflict.
Despite the massive propaganda and disinformation campaign, security experts believe it has had limited success, with the average traffic for the five portals in November 2023 reaching 31,000 visits.
Claim, a platform that doubles as a rewards app and social network, has raised $4 million in a seed funding round led by Sequoia Capital. The startup is on a mission to make shopping fun, rewarding, and social. The app was released as an invitation-only beta version in January, and is currently being used primarily by college students in Boston.
Claim also allows users and their friends to earn cash back, exchange rewards, and redeem together. The platform is a social network that aims to focus on real-world value and communal experiences, rather than manufactured content and reposts.
The startup was founded in November 2021 by CEO Sam Obretz and CTO Tap Stevenson. The two met when they were roommates at Yale University and came up with the idea for Claim when they met again at Harvard Business School. Obretz and Stevenson originally started by thinking about what it means to own something digital.
“We started Claim because we were really interested in what it meant to own something online,” Stevenson said in an interview with TechCrunch. “We saw this with web3 and the sport is also emerging as a collector’s item. There has always been a place online where you can own something, but there has never been a generalized format. So I We started thinking about what it meant to actually remove all the friction of owning something online, and that led to complaints over time.”
The two started by envisioning a platform that could be used in the real world and where you could earn rewards linked to your credit card. We then decided that we needed to allow users to use and exchange rewards with their friends. When they came up with these ideas, Obretz and Stevenson realized they were tapping into a social mechanism that doesn’t widely exist today.
Claims are similar to the idea of trading cards, but create a new kind of value-based experience for brands for consumers. The company says it has turned consumer rewards into a multiplayer game by allowing users to save money and create new experiences together.
Image credits: Claim/Claim Co-Founders Sam Obletz and Tap Stephenson
If it’s a brand you love and your friend hasn’t checked it out yet, you can give them a special treat like a free acai bowl from their favorite coffee
shop or a t-shirt from their favorite streetwear brand. You can exchange rewards, try new places together, and earn status from spending with brands. Once a week, Claim also does “drops” where users open new offers at the same time. Users can decide whether to redeem, gift, or exchange rewards with friends.
While Claim aims to be beneficial to consumers, the startup also aims to help marketers and brands reach new customers without being bombarded with ads on Google, Instagram, and TikTok. We also place emphasis on On Claim, consumers discover brands through rewards from friends. The startup believes that when reaching new customers, being able to try out a product is more beneficial than advertising.
“We make it super easy for marketers,” Obretz says. “We can find customers based on where they shop and where their friends shop. For users who have never done it before, we offer rewards for trying your brand for the first time. This is very important because it brings in genuine new customers. It also allows you to show how effective that reward was based on their spend. That’s why we created It’s this very simple marketing tool.”
The startup currently works with merchants ranging from Fortune 500 companies like PepsiCo to local restaurants like Boston’s Life Alive.
Claim’s early results are promising, with one partner on the platform achieving 97% of new customer goals in half the time expected, and another partner acquiring customers within 30 days with a 35% return rate. says.
Claim is currently focused on Gen Z as its overall user base. This is because people in this group are interested in authenticity and think they are tired of advertising, especially since it seems like every post on social media these days is sponsored. The startup hopes to continue testing in Boston, where it currently has more than 10,000 users, before eventually expanding nationwide.
As for the new funding, the company plans to use it to hire new talent and grow its team of eight people over the next year. Claim will also use the funding to focus on testing and learning from an engineering perspective before expanding into new markets.
The startup’s seed round follows an unannounced $2 million pre-seed round led by Susa Ventures and Box Group. Claim’s funding round included participation from 6th Man Venture, Reflexive Capital, A* Capital, GSW Ventures, The Kraft Group, and others.
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