Hey Cardanians! Welcome aboard the Weekly Cardano Digest #31!!

We've filtered through all the noise to distill crucial updates into a breezy, 5-minute read. No need for you to sift through endless info — we've got you covered. Ready to delve into this week's top Cardano news? Let’s dive in.

Here are the topics of the week:

• The Project Catalyst Fund 12 Results Are In

• EMURGO and Huawei Cloud Partnership Boosts Cardano Ecosystem

• Cardano Gains Ground with Tangem Wallet Integration

• Cardano Founder Proposes Decentralized IDs to Secure X From Hacks

• COTI Partners with Porta Wallet to Enhance Privacy and Functionality

• Weekly Development Report

• & More!

This newsletter is segmented into categories of less technical news topics to those that are more technical, in an effort to make it easier for our readers to follow. The first category will focus on news involving the Cardano ecosystem, while the second category will focus on projects that have been announced recently. The third category, which will be found towards the end of the newsletter, will focus on the most technical topics. 

This week on Cardano…

The Project Catalyst Fund 12 Results Are In

Over 250 Project Catalyst proposals were chosen among 1,203 ideas presented in the latest funding round and we are so excited to announce that three of our projects were among those selected! 

Project Catalyst is a community-driven initiative that funds innovative projects on the Cardano blockchain. Project Catalyst launches a new funding round every few months, offering a dedicated pool of $ADA to support the proposals that are chosen. Community members submit their ideas, which are then voted on by the wider Cardano community. Successful proposals receive funding to bring their projects to life.

In this latest round, many of these proposals focused on strategic growth initiatives in order to expand Cardano adoption in Latin America, placing particular emphasis on education and community building around blockchain technology. We can’t wait to see all the incredible results that these proposals will bring! READ MORE

EMURGO and Huawei Cloud Partnership Boosts Cardano Ecosystem

In April, EMURGO, a prominent Cardano blockchain company, announced a strategic partnership with Huawei Cloud. This collaboration aimed to enhance the Cardano network's capabilities by establishing a Cardano Validator Node on Huawei Cloud's infrastructure. By combining their strengths, EMURGO and Huawei Cloud sought to drive Web3 adoption and growth in the Asia Pacific region.

Now, nearly 100 days after the original announcement, the collaboration between EMURGO and Huawei Cloud is already demonstrating tangible benefits for the Cardano ecosystem. This strategic partnership, uniting a blockchain leader and a cloud computing giant, aims to expand Cardano's global reach and accessibility.

By establishing a Cardano Validator Node on Huawei Cloud, the partnership is enhancing network security and distribution. Additionally, a key advantage of this collaboration lies in its potential to accelerate dApp development. Cardano developers now have access to Huawei Cloud's resources and the KooGallery marketplace, streamlining the development of Web3 applications. This collaboration is expected to drive innovation and adoption within the Cardano ecosystem. READ MORE

Cardano Gains Ground with Tangem Wallet Integration

Tangem, a leading provider of self-custody cryptocurrency wallets, has announced the integration of the Cardano blockchain into its platform. This significant update empowers users to securely store, send, and receive Cardano native tokens (CNTs) directly within their Tangem wallets.

With the inclusion of Cardano, Tangem users can now manage a wider range of digital assets, including popular tokens like Iagon, SingularityNET, Cornucopias, Snek, and World Mobile Token. Users can access these new features by updating their Tangem app. While staking functionality for Cardano is not yet available, Tangem has indicated plans to introduce this feature in the future.

The Cardano community enthusiastically welcomed Tangem's announcement, with many expressing support on social media and some sharing images of their newly acquired Tangem wallets.

In addition to Cardano, Tangem has also integrated the privacy-focused Manta blockchain, further expanding the range of digital assets accessible to its users. The integration also allows users to manage assets with enhanced confidentiality compared to traditional public blockchains. To access Manta's privacy features, users will need to update their Tangem wallets. READ MORE

Cardano Founder Proposes Decentralized IDs to Secure X From Hacks

SingularityNET founder Ben Goertzel recently fell victim to a hacking incident on X, prompting an apology to his followers after his account was used to distribute scam links. In response, Cardano creator Charles Hoskinson urged X owner Elon Musk to implement decentralized identities (DIDs) on the social media platform to enhance security.

DIDs offer a more secure and user-controlled method of managing digital identity information. By storing personal data in a decentralized wallet, users can selectively share information with platforms like X, reducing the risk of data breaches and identity theft. Hoskinson has even offered to develop a DID solution for X for free, highlighting the potential benefits of this technology.

This incident underscores the growing need for robust security measures on social media platforms. In a recent tweet directed at Musk, Hoskinson argued that, by adopting DIDs, X could significantly improve user protection and trust.

Charles Hoskinson clarified that the proposed decentralized identities system is independent of any specific blockchain, including Cardano. He envisions a solution built on Hyperledger technology that can be directly integrated into X's infrastructure. This approach aims to create a universal identity management system that can be adopted by various platforms. READ MORE

COTI Partners with Porta Wallet to Enhance Privacy and Functionality

COTI has announced a strategic partnership with Porta Wallet to integrate its privacy-focused technology into the smart wallet platform. This collaboration aims to enhance user security and experience by combining Porta's advanced wallet features with COTI's confidentiality layer.

Porta Wallet, built on Ethereum's ERC-4337 account abstraction, offers a range of trading functionalities beyond simple token swaps, including stop-loss, take-profit, and limit orders. By integrating COTI V2's privacy technology, Porta Wallet can provide users with several critical privacy-enhancing features, including:

• Confidential transactions: Hidden transaction details for enhanced privacy.

• Private balances: Protection against potential attacks targeting exposed wallet balances.

• Secure on-chain data management: Safeguarding sensitive wallet information from unauthorized access.

The partnership between COTI and Porta signifies a crucial step towards overcoming the privacy challenges that have hindered broader blockchain adoption. By prioritizing user protection and combining advanced functionalities, the two companies are paving the way for a more secure and user-friendly web3 ecosystem. READ MORE

Weekly Development Report

Interesting Stories:

1. Cardano (ADA) wins listing on Horizon Protocol flagship derivatives platform

2. Intersect reminds Stake Pool Operators (SPOs) to upgrade to Node 9.0.0 version amid Chang Upgrade

3. Swyftx, Australia’s biggest crypto exchange, adds Cardano-based memecoin SNEK to platform

4. ADA Labs Argentina hosts Smart Contracts course for developers at the National Technological University (UTN)

5. Binance US Highlights Cardano Ahead of Chang Hard Fork

6. Cardano and Polkadot host collaborative talk on decentralized governance for Chinese community

🎊 A Message from Lucas 🎊

I can’t believe that Argentina Digital Nation is NEXT WEDNESDAY! This event will serve as a landmark gathering of some of the ecosystem’s most important actors, including Charles Hoskinson himself, who will be delivering the keynote speech. My team and I have been working so hard to organize dynamic panels with renowned speakers such as Rafael Fraga from the Cardano Foundation and zenGate Global founder Daniel Friedman. We are also continuing to round up key figures from Argentina’s public and private sectors to make this event as thought-provoking and constructive as possible!

If you haven’t done so already, please make sure you are following ADN’s social media platforms to keep up with the latest information on the event. If you still haven’t secured your ticket, make sure you do so before they run out!

I’m so excited to see new faces at what I’m sure will be an unforgettable event.

–Lucas Macchiavelli