NPM supply chain attack uses Ethereum blockchain

Photo of a chain illustrating the discovery of a malware campaign that takes advantage of the npm packages ecosystem for a software supply chain attack and uses the Ethereum blockchain for resilience against cyber security detection and mitigation strategies.

Checkmarx researchers have detected a unique supply chain attack within the NPM ecosystem that uses the Ethereum blockchain.

The malicious package, dubbed "jest-fet-mock," targets developers with a multi-platform malware employing Ethereum smart contracts for command-and-control (C2) operations. This marks a convergence of blockchain technology with traditional attack vectors—a method not yet observed in NPM packages. 

Attack mechanics and distribution

The...

4 November 2024 | Blockchain

Sony bets on Web3 with Soneium blockchain and incubation programme

Sony Block Solutions Labs has announced the launch of Soneium Minato, a new Ethereum layer-2 testnet, alongside an incubation programme called Soneium Spark. Aimed at establishing Soneium as a key Web3 infrastructure, the initiatives leverage Sony Group's reach to drive mainstream adoption across a range of applications. 

Driven by the vision to "Realise the Open Internet that Transcends Boundaries," Sony Block Solutions Labs seeks to demystify and promote Web3 to a wider...

28 August 2024 | Blockchain

Bitwise will donate 10% of Ethereum ETF profits to developers

Bitwise Asset Management has announced the launch of its Bitwise Ethereum ETF (ticker: ETHW) on the New York Stock Exchange, marking a milestone in the US Web3 market. The spot Ethereum fund aims to provide investors with direct exposure to the second-largest Web3 ecosystem by market capitalisation.

To support the Ethereum ecosystem, Bitwise has pledged to donate 10% of all ETHW profits to two key organisations: Protocol Guild and PBS Foundation. These entities play crucial roles...

23 July 2024 | Blockchain

Sam Altman’s blockchain project ‘World Chain’ opens to developers

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman's Worldcoin project has launched a developer preview of World Chain, a new blockchain that claims to prioritise humans and scale with the growth of the Worldcoin ecosystem. 

World Chain – built on the OP Stack and integrated with the Worldcoin protocol – aims to provide developers with access to over 10 million users across 160 countries who are using compatible wallets, starting with the World App.

With the developer preview, the Worldcoin...

9 July 2024 | Blockchain

Ethereum core developer encourages ‘The Merge’ testing

Tim Beiko, an Ethereum core developer, has taken to Twitter to encourage both developers and users to help test “The Merge” prior to the anticipated event.

The Merge is when Ethereum’s proof-of-stake testnet will merge with the platform’s mainnet—a highly complex endeavour that has been many years in the making. Short of any delays, it’s expected to take place in August.

Ethereum has $70.55 billion “locked” in its thriving decentralised finance ecosystem....

24 May 2022 | Blockchain

Web3: Ethereum leads in developers, falling behind in activity

According to a16z’s 2022 State of Crypto report, Ethereum is maintaining its lead in web3 developers but rivals are overtaking in activity.

The report opens with some history of the various web eras and why web3 has many people excited:

Web1 (~1990-2005) – Based on open protocols, decentralised, and community-governed. However, relatively basic in terms of functionality.Web2 (~2005-present) – Siloed, centralised services with value and content ownership granted to a...

18 May 2022 | Blockchain

Enterprise Ethereum Alliance and BEN announce Web 3.0 virtual job fair

The Enterprise Ethereum Alliance (EEA) and Blockchain Education Network (BEN) have announced a virtual job fair to attract Web 3.0 talent.

Web 3.0 aims to move away from centralisation to put content ownership, privacy, and control back in the hands of creators and people. As the largest decentralised platform, Ethereum is leading the charge.

There are over 100 members of the EEA, including giants like SAP, Microsoft, Accenture, FedEx, JP Morgan, and...

24 March 2022 | Blockchain

Ethereum still has the most Web 3.0 developers, but rivals are growing faster

Decentralised app platform Ethereum still has the most Web 3.0 developers, but it’s all to play for with rivals growing faster.

The data comes from research firm Electric Capital which released a report this week into the Web 3.0 development ecosystem.

Electric Capital found that more than 4,000 developers actively work on Ethereum per month. 

For comparison, just 680 developers actively work on Bitcoin per month. It’s a huge disparity, but it’s...

6 January 2022 | Blockchain

Cardano tops blockchain dev activity for second year, Avalanche witnesses explosive growth

Outlier Ventures has released its blockchain development trends report for Q2 2020/21 and it highlights growing interest around the “Ethereum killers”.

Ethereum is the original smart contract platform and, to this day, hosts the largest number of decentralised applications. With a market cap of $408.3 billion, it’s the second-largest cryptocurrency behind Bitcoin ($893.5 billion).

However, Ethereum continues to be plagued by slow transaction speeds and high fees....

17 September 2021 | Blockchain

Ethereum 2.0 beacon chain launches with over $400m staked

Decentralised computing platform Ethereum has successfully launched its beacon chain for 2.0 with supporters currently staking over $400 million.

Ethereum 2.0 pivots the world’s most popular decentralised app platform to a faster and more efficient Proof-of-Stake consensus.

https://twitter.com/ethereumJoseph/status/1333746118979702786

Developers are building innovative new applications for just about every industry—but there’s one that Ethereum has become...

1 December 2020 | Blockchain