The biggest new threat to privacy in 2023 wasn’t any surveillance program. It was the false advertising Big Tech companies use to trick people into thinking their products are private. Like oil companies claiming fossil fuels are “green”, Google, Apple, Microsoft, and others increasingly try to convince people their surveillance-based advertising models are “private” when they’re not. This sneaky marketing practice is known as privacy washing(new window).

As we reflect on 2023, it's evident that the NFT space just weathered a tough bear market. Yet resilience has been our hallmark, with numerous projects not only surviving but thriving here thanks to new advancements and new tailwinds. Accordingly, today let’s dive into the most prominent NFT trends of this past year, spotlighting the biggest happenings and notable projects that got us to where we are now!

CertiK stated on social media that there were 751 security incidents in Web3 in 2023, resulting in losses of approximately 1.84 billion US dollars, a 51% decrease from 2022. Among them, the total loss of private key leakage incidents in 2023 exceeded 880 million US dollars, which was the highest among all types of incidents. The total loss of security incidents on Ethereum was 686 million US dollars, which was the highest among all chains. In addition, 35 cross-chain security incidents caused huge losses of nearly 800 million US dollars, highlighting the need to pay attention to interoperability vulnerabilities.

According to a recent report by blockchain security firm Beosin, there has been a 53.9% decrease in total losses from hacks, phishing scams, and rug pulls in 2023 compared to the previous year. However, there has been an alarming surge in offline crypto crimes, with global losses increasing by 377% to $65.68 billion. DeFi projects faced the highest number of attacks, with 130 causing approximately $408 million in losses, while Ethereum experienced a substantial reduction in losses. The decline in cross-chain bridge attacks is a positive trend, responsible for only 7% of total losses. The report highlights significant attacks, including Mixin Network's cloud provider breach resulting in $200 million losses, Euler Finance's $197 million loss due to a contract vulnerability, and Poloniex's $126 million breach linked to a private key compromise.

A year ago, when I wrote Has Crypto Failed, I was making notes for myself. It was written after a year of fraud had created market turbulence. FTX had filed for bankruptcy a few months after acquiring a former employer. I didn’t know what to do with my life and career. So, I wrote to find answers while taking long walks back home. Little did I know that this would set the stage for a year of writing stories and building alongside founders.

To say 2023 has been a remarkable year, would be an understatement. With the introduction of Beam, our very own gaming ecosystem, the entire Merit Circle DAO has changed. We’ve had a year full of glorious partnerships, technological breakthroughs, and most importantly, product launches.

STARK-tech as the secret sauce that helps dApps scale and thrive on Ethereum – today and tomorrow.

In this special edition of the State of the Network, we reflect on a year full of riveting data and crucial events through the lens of the research team’s favorite issues from 2023. In the upcoming year, our commitment remains steadfast: to deliver meticulous, actionable insights that empower your decisions in an ever-evolving digital asset world.

2023 has been a pivotal year for the cryptocurrency industry, witnessing various security challenges and cyber threats. This report delves into the intricate details of the hacks and security breaches that have marked the year, offering a comprehensive analysis of trends, patterns, and the evolving nature of cyber threats in the crypto world. We aim to provide valuable insights for industry stakeholders, enhancing their understanding of the security landscape and facilitating informed decision-making.

2023 saw total IBC-enabled chains go from 53 to 107; $2.5B in volume and 5.3M+ token transfers in December; 124 contributors to the main IBC Github repositories;