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Bill Gates leaves Microsoft’s board
On 3/13/2020, Bill Gates announced that he is leaving the board of Microsoft and Berkshire Hathaway, Warren Buffet’s company. According to the statement published by Gates himself on his Linkedin, he leaves the councils to dedicate himself to his philanthropic projects and to combat climate change. The co-founder of Microsoft had already stepped down as CEO of the company in 2008 and remained in the presidency until 2014.
Gates claims to remain the technology consultant to current Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, but seeks to focus his attention on his philanthropic initiatives Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and The Giving Pledge.
On his departure from the board, Bill Gates comments:”With respect to Microsoft, stepping down from the board in no way means stepping away from the company. Microsoft will always be an important part of my life’s work and I will continue to be engaged with Satya and the technical leadership to help shape the vision and achieve the company’s ambitious goals. I feel more optimistic than ever about the progress the company is making and how it can continue to benefit the world.”
Sources: Cointelegraph | Linkedin |Cision PR Newswire | G1 | Share Cafe
Binance helping to fight coronavirus
The exchange Binance through its non-profit organization Binance Charity is donating medical supplies to healthcare institutions in order to fight the coronavirus. On 09/03/2020, Binance Charity announced that it is completing the second phase of “Binance for Wuhan”, an initiative that has delivered supplies to 130 hospitals and medical teams struggling to combat COVID-19. Binance also sent other equipment such as gloves and oxygen machines to the United Arab Emirates and Israel.
With the spread of the virus around the world at an astonishing rate, several companies besides Binance have also mobilized for health. The startup FUZAMEI created a medical data sharing platform, Kryptal, a blockchain-focused company launched a donation initiative to buy medical supplies for victims in Wuhan and the Chinese company Hyperchain developed a blockchain platform with a focus on transparency and traceability of donations related to coronavirus.
Sources: Cointelegraph | CryptoNewsZ | Tokenpost
Coronavirus-fighting apps and websites being used to steal cryptocurrencies users
The WHO’s declaration of a global pandemic status in relation to coronavirus motivated several beneficial actions to take place, but it also opened up space for cyber criminals to take advantage of technology to spread malware and steal from crypto enthusiasts.
One of these malicious actions is a fake app for the Android system called CovidLock. The app in question is a ransomware that changes the password on the phone’s home screen and charges $ 100 in BTC to return control of the device to the user. The fake app was tracked by the authorities to the coronavirusapp [.] Website, which contains the false information that the app is certified by WHO and has a score of 4.4.
Another malicious action discovered by MalwareHunters and Reason Security is a map that provides updates on the coronavirus pandemic, but also steals information stored in web browsers, such as logins, passwords and cryptocurrency keys. Hackers use this information to obtain information about cryptowallets in particular Ethereum, Electro and Exodus.
The malware is called “Corona-virus.exe” and is an updated version of the AZORult malicious software, discovered in 2016.
Sources: Livecoins | Decrypt | Cointelegraph
Crypto events canceled due to coronavirus
Several events are being canceled or replaced by an online version due to the coronavirus.
Ethereal, a cryptocurrency conference focused on Ethereum promoted by ConsenSys will be held online.
Regarding the event, ConsenSys comments: “We decided to postpone the Ethereal Summit New York personal event to the fall of 2020. In the meantime, we have already started working to rethink Ethereal NY as the first Ethereal Virtual to be held. Summit 2020, which will be held from May 7th to 8th. “
In the virtual edition, participants can attend lectures and interact with each other without leaving their homes. It will also feature virtual reality, so people with VR headsets can explore the digital location.
Consensus, another major global cryptocurrency and blockchain event that is promoted by Coindesk also announced a change of plans. In 2020, the conference will not be held in New York, but a totally virtual, online and free experience for participants from around the world. Coindesk said it would refund everyone who bought tickets for the physical event.
Sources: Cointelegraph – Notícia 1 | Cointelegraph – Notícia 3 | Decrypt |Portal do Bitcoin
