[2025] January Updates
GM Navigators
New year, new energy, same mission.
This year marks the start of a fresh regulatory paradigm for crypto, since the US has openly pledged to support this sector. While it’s great to see many of the previous stifling regulations lifted, we must remember that decentralized tech is meant to be self-sufficient and work solely for the benefit of its users, not be subject to the whims of regulators.
That’s why our focus remains unchanged.
What are we building? Privacy tech.
Who are we building it for? Anyone and everyone.
How are we building it? By writing code that’s autonomous and unblacklistable.
Our testnet blockchain remains in full swing with the ongoing stress test, while the devs are making steady headway on both the electrum port and the navio-js library. A huge thank you goes out again to everyone who’s been diving in to test the chain — the feedback has been invaluable.
In other big news, Navio has secured THREE new listings: Trocador Swap, exolix, and OrangeFren. All of which do not require KYC.
Now, not only can you swap your coins for a huge range of cryptocurrencies, but on Trocador, you can use $NAV to buy prepaid cards. The cards can then be used as payment methods for a bunch of online retailers. Splendid. This is exactly what early adoption looks like.
Meanwhile, sakdeniz was hard at work on designing the interface for a light wallet meant for the new chain (once navio-js is ready). Expect a slick UI with both light and dark themes, plus multi-language support. Feel free to check out a test version of the interface here.
Have you been paying attention, anon? A new orbiter has joined the Navio social universe, slowly but surely expanding into the algorithm. Don’t hesitate to follow and amplify the account.
The biggest privacy news this month by far has been the full and unconditional presidential pardon of Ross Ulbricht. His two life sentences plus 40 years for facilitating the trade of illicit goods have long been deemed excessive and a clear case of government overreach. Congratulations and the best of wishes to Ross and his family. May he enjoy his freedom.
Another win for decentralized technologies came when the U.S. Court of Appeals ruled that the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control had overstepped its authority by sanctioning Tornado Cash. The court determined that Tornado Cash’s smart contracts cannot be classified as “property,” which places them outside the treasury’s jurisdiction. With these sanctions lifted, one can only hope that the rest of the lawsuit will soon resolve in favor of Tornado Cash, as it rightly should, since the case shouldn’t have been brought in the first place.
Until the next one. Cheers!
