We are thrilled to announce the launch of Treasure Tapper, a new Telegram clicker game designed to reward you with free tokens simply by tapping into the treasure trove! Treasure Tapper combines fun and rewards, offering an engaging way to stack tokens while enjoying a light-hearted game.
Playing Treasure Tapper is as simple as it gets. Just tap on your screen to collect $TREZ tokens. The more you tap, the more tokens you collect.
Collect even more $TREZ as you complete quests! It’s an exciting way to accumulate rewards while having a blast with friends and fellow community members.
Features and Benefits
Easy to Play: Start tapping and collecting tokens immediately.
Exciting Rewards: Each tap brings you closer to valuable tokens.
Community Fun: Join a community of players and see who can tap the most.
Free to Play: No hidden costs, just pure fun and rewards.
Why Play Treasure Tapper?
Treasure Tapper is perfect for those looking to add a bit of excitement to their daily routine. Whether you have a few minutes to spare or want to compete with friends for the highest score, this game offers endless entertainment. Plus, the tokens you collect are really yours!
Join the Adventure
Ready to start your treasure-hunting journey? Join us on Telegram and start tapping your way to riches with Treasure Tapper. Don’t miss out on the fun and rewards waiting for you!
Imagine a world where no single entity holds all the power or control over information, decisions or assets. This is the essence of decentralization, and web3 is making it a reality.
In simple terms, decentralization means distributing control and decision-making from a central authority to a network of nodes or participants. This concept is central to the functioning of many technologies and systems in the web3 ecosystem, including blockchain and cryptocurrencies.
How Does Decentralization Work?
To understand decentralization, let’s compare it to centralization:
Centralized Systems
In centralized systems, a single authority or a small group controls the entire system. For example, in traditional banking, a central bank holds money for users, and all transactions must go through this central authority. Similarly, social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter have central control over user data and content, and web hosting services like Amazon Web Services have centralized responsibility for hosting content on the internet.
Decentralized Systems
In decentralized systems, control is distributed across many nodes or participants. This means that no single entity has complete control, and decisions are made collectively. Here’s a simple breakdown:
Distributed Network: In a decentralized network, multiple nodes (computers or participants) work together to maintain the system. Each node has a copy of the entire network’s data, and they communicate and validate each other’s transactions.
Consensus Mechanisms: To ensure that all nodes agree on the state of the network, decentralized systems use consensus mechanisms, which validate transactions and maintain the integrity of the network.
Transparency and Immutability: Decentralized systems rely on transparent and immutable ledgers, such as blockchain, where all transactions are recorded and cannot be altered. This ensures trust and security in the system.
Why is Decentralization Important?
Decentralization is a foundational principle in the web3 world for several reasons:
Enhanced Security
In centralized systems, a single point of failure can compromise the entire system. Decentralization distributes risk, making it much harder for hackers to attack or manipulate the network, or an unexpected event like a power outage to cause major problems.
Increased Transparency
Decentralized systems operate on transparent protocols and public ledgers, ensuring that all transactions and activities are visible to all participants to build trust and accountability.
Censorship Resistance
Decentralization removes the power of central authorities to censor or control information. This is particularly important for freedom of speech and access to information.
Democratic Governance
Decentralized systems often use governance models where decisions are made collectively by the community or stakeholders, rather than a central authority. This democratizes control and aligns the interests of all participants.
Innovation and Interoperability
Decentralized platforms encourage open-source development and innovation. They allow different systems and applications to interoperate seamlessly, creating a more connected and versatile ecosystem.
Real-World Examples of Decentralization
1. Blockchain and Cryptocurrencies
Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are prime examples of decentralization. They operate on decentralized networks where transactions are validated by a network of nodes, rather than a central bank.
2. Decentralized Finance (DeFi)
DeFi platforms provide financial services like lending, borrowing, and trading without traditional intermediaries like banks. They use smart contracts on blockchain networks to automate and secure transactions. While centralized exchanges such as Coinbase and Binance require user account verification and other forms of KYC, decentralized exchanges such as Uniswap can be used anonymously.
3. Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs)
DAOs are organizations governed by smart contracts and run by a community of stakeholders. Decisions are made through a voting process, ensuring that control is distributed and democratic.
4. GalaChain and $GALA
GalaChain, the blockchain ecosystem for gaming and entertainment, uses $GALA as its native token. Even though it was created by a centralized company (Gala), GalaChain is decentralized because it is powered by a decentralized infrastructure of Founder’s Nodes whose operators receive $GALA rewards and have governance rights on certain ecosystem decisions.
With 2024 updates like the release of the open source GalaChain SDK, the Gala Creators self-service portal and GalaSwap, a platform where users can exchange tokens, the Gala ecosystem continues to move toward greater decentralization and community control as it grows.
The Future of Decentralization
As Web3 technologies evolve, decentralization will play a crucial role in shaping the future of the internet and beyond. Here are some trends to watch:
1. Decentralized Web (Web3)
IN general, web3 aims to create a decentralized internet where users have greater control over their data and digital identities. This could lead to a more open, secure and user-centric web.
2. Interoperability
Decentralized systems will increasingly need to interoperate with each other, enabling seamless transfer of assets and information across different platforms and blockchains. With so many different projects, innovators and blockchains, Interoperability is one of blockchain’s greatest challenges. With a goal of becoming the first billion user blockchain, GalaChain has taken these challenges seriously and implemented extensive plans to address them and lower their impact in the long term.
3. Scalability
One of the challenges of decentralization is scalability. Future innovations will focus on making decentralized systems more efficient and capable of handling large-scale applications. When web3 was a small community, it was relatively simple for companies to present proof-of-concept ideas and applications. However, as the fabled “mass adoption” draws nearer, increasing pressure on these blockchains and applications will make it clear which were built effectively to scale.
4. Regulatory Developments
As decentralization gains traction, governments and regulatory bodies will need to create frameworks that balance innovation with security and compliance. With so many different regulatory bodies involved in economic decision-making throughout the world, this area is full of unknowns. Gala takes an incredibly proactive approach to regulatory compliance, welcoming regulation and striving to adhere to all applicable laws throughout the world.
Decentralization: More than a Buzz Word
Decentralization is more than just a trendy way of saying web3; it’s a philosophy that promotes security, transparency and democratic governance for systems that have historically lacked freedom and/or efficiency-. By distributing control and decision-making, decentralized systems offer a robust alternative to centralized models, paving the way for a more open and inclusive digital future.
Stay tuned for more blogs in our explainer series, where we’ll dive deeper into the fascinating world of Web3 and its key concepts!
Welcome to GalaSwap, your go-to platform for direct token swapping on GalaChain. With GalaSwap, you can seamlessly exchange $GALA and other network tokens such as $MTRM, as well as new community project tokens created through the GalaSwap Project Token Creation Tool.
Not only can you exchange tokens easily without leaving GalaChain, but you’ll also receive $GSWAP every time you create or accept a swap!
This guide will walk you through the steps to start swapping tokens, creating offers, and finding the best swaps available.Visit galaswap.gala.com to begin your journey.
Getting Started with GalaSwap
First, login at GalaSwap.gala.com with your Gala account credentials. Even if you’re logged in at one of the platform sites already, you’ll need to login to GalaSwap specifically because it is a separate platform.
Creating an Offer on GalaSwap
Navigate to the Create Offer Page
Go to the main swap page and click Create Offer, or click the Create Offer button under the account icon in the top right corner.
Fill in the Offer Details
Offering: Select the token type and amount you want to offer.
Wanted: Select the token type and amount you want in return.
Gas Fee: The amount of $GALA required to create the offer.
Switch Button: Swap the offering and wanted tokens if needed.
Finalize and Create the Offer
Once you’ve entered the necessary details, click Create.
Enter your GalaChain wallet’s Transfer Code.
Your offer is now created and can be viewed on the main swap site under Active Offers. You’ll be notified when your swap is accepted.
Searching for an Offer on GalaSwap
Log In and Search
On the main swap page, fill in the Offering and Wanted fields.
Click the Search button to find matching offers.
Review and Accept Offers
When you find an offer, you will see:
You Give: The total amount of the token you will give.
Exchange Rate: The rate of the swap.
You Receive: The total amount of the token you will receive.
Gas Fee: The $GALA required to accept the offer.
If the swap is acceptable, click Swap.
Enter your GalaChain Wallet’s Transfer Code.
The swap will be initiated, and you will see a Swap Succeeded prompt upon completion.
Welcome back to The Guardian Papers, the series where we help bolster the security super sense of our community on GalaChain and beyond! Today we’re continuing our dive into the world of cons and villainy as we explore the methods that scammers use to deceive unwitting marks. Educate yourself on their methods, and soon you’ll be a defender of others rather than a target!
Scam Profile: Too Good to Be True
Hey there! Would you like to amass riches without any effort whatsoever?
If you answered yes to this question, you may be a human being!
Seriously, everyone wants this. This is what the scammers out there are counting on, and how they reliably reel in their prey.
Rather than exploring how scammers deceive you like last time, today we’re getting a bit more cerebral. We’re talking about the bait – the incentives that scammers will use to get you to throw aside caution and logic to dive head first into their trap.
If something seems too good to be true… it probably is.
Common Motivations
We’re living in a material world… and the vast majority of us are material people. That doesn’t mean we’re obsessed with our stuff or money hungry, but most people live in a state where an infusion of money could totally change their lives. Whether it’s an increase in living standards, a better life for our kids or simply a way out of debt, most humans have an amount of money that will reliably spur their motivation.
The amount of easy money that may light a fire under us may differ, but the important thing is that the scammers know there is likely an amount that will push caution and logic out of your head and replace it with dreams of escaping whatever financial situation you’re worried about or transforming your life for the better. This is exactly what they’re counting on.
Once they’ve got you dreaming about easy money, they can count on your critical thinking skills being less engaged. After that, all they have to do is keep you on the line and let you dream.
Preying on Need and Greed
We all have needs to survive. The scammers out there can capitalize on this to make you justify some degree of trust or risk. Sometimes, they get you in the door with only fairly unbelievable claims… the level where your curiosity is piqued, but your brow may still be furrowed.
We don’t know what your job searching experience is… but from the writer of this article’s perspective, tech jobs at major metropolitan competitive prices don’t just drop into cold calls without some major strings attached.
The wages given are very high for someone sliding in to mass announce job openings. That having been said, they are not high for competitive jobs within the industry for the very qualified. The intention is that your brain says it’s implausible… but not impossible. So you DM out of curiosity. Then they have a direct line to work on you hard.
At the point they get you into their DMs or on their site, there are any number of scams that they could attempt to run on you. The important thing is that they now have you where they want you, thinking about what that money could do for you.
Sometimes these types of scams run a little more flagrantly too good to be true. As the reward is cranked up however, our mind has a way of justifying a greater amount of perceived risk.
In the case of this DM (that I received four of at the exact same time from four different accounts 🙄) they’ve abandoned the idea of believability. Instead, they’ve employed several ‘hard sell’ techniques to make the target careless enough to slip up.
First, there’s the ludicrous amount of free money they’re offering. They temper this free thousands of dollars worth of ETH by having the target ranked third… leaving a quiet voice in the back of your head saying, “Surely if it was a scam they’d have put me in first.”
Then there’s the time sensitivity. You only have 24 hours to activate your code! Oh no! No time to hesitate!!! Your decision-making reactively goes into high-pressure mode, making quick decisions with less information than it normally would. Of course once you go to their site, you’ll be asked to connect your wallet to get your winnings. Then they have access, and you are drained.
Note the inconsistencies across the messaging. “You have been RANDOMLY selected among users of Crypto Discord Servers.” AND “If you don’t know what is crypto and how to use it – ignore this message”. But how can both those things be needed? Why would they send this to someone who didn’t know ‘what is crypto’ if they selected participants from among crypto communities only? 🤔
Think about that… selected from “Crypto Discord Servers”. That makes sense for an airdrop of some new token from a brand new ecosystem trying to get its name and token out there… but what would a trading platform have to gain by giving away so much to people who are NOT already part of their platform?
There’s no CTA to sign up. No email opt-in to enter. No marketing win for the company who fronted the prize… big red flag. At best, they’re getting 3 new users out of this ~13.9 ETH prize. That’s not how marketing budgets work.
Also, did you notice how seemingly random words were capitalized throughout the message? The capital words in the first section act as subconscious triggers for your brain, priming you to follow through on the scam. When you scan the text, your brain automatically considers the capitals more important. If you’re old enough to remember the classic tag cloud on websites, think of it as that… except it’s logging keywords with your brain instead of AOL Search and AskJeeves.
Scamming Human Nature
You may be reading this and nodding your head thinking, “This kind of stuff would never work on me!” You’re probably wrong. It can work on anybody.
The reason that scammers use these tactics is that they do work. Everybody has an instinctive reaction when presented with these kinds of stimuli. We are able to overcome them by informing ourselves, but the instinct is still there. That is what scammers exploit.
If you are informed, however, you usually cease to be a target. Notice how the last example above said to ignore the message if you didn’t know what crypto was? They don’t want difficult onboarding. They want people to slide through their trap easily with just a little butter. If you are a difficult mark, you are no longer worth their time.
Most people are familiar with the classic Nigerian Prince con… again, a ‘too good to be true’ type of scam. In this type of advance payment scam you’ll often see the scammer deliberately misspell words, punctuate awkwardly or more or less just fail to perform the language they are typing in. This is because they don’t want people who think too critically to respond.
If you overlook all those obvious errors and their inconsistency with the idea of wealthy, well-educated royalty… you’ll probably overlook other things. If you spot the signs right away, the sharks don’t smell blood in the water.
Fun Fact: The ‘Nigerian Prince’ scam is actually a very old form of advance payment scams, most notably going back to the “Spanish Prisoner” scam in the 18th and 19th centuries.
The con man tells the mark that they represent a wealthy noble who has been imprisoned in Spain. The noble is under a false name for fear of political persecution, etc. If the mark can give bail money, the noble can reward them handsomely upon their return home.
Once the mark gives the bail money, the con man comes back saying that the noble needs money for passage to his homeland where the treasure awaits. Then there will be storms and delays, extra costs. The con man keeps pumping the mark for money until the well runs dry, but the prisoner never brings back riches. They don’t exist.
Read more about the history of The Spanish Prisoner swindle in a very interesting deep dive by the Western History and Genealogy Department of the Denver Public Library. ⬇️
The way to fight these scammers is to inform ourselves and those around us. These kinds of cons are not going away as long as there is a gullible audience for them to exploit. While it’s unlikely that we’ll ever be universally free of these types of predators, we can be free of them within our community with education, support and good practices.
That is, after all, what The Guardian Papers is all about. We all come from different backgrounds. Some of this may be little more than review for some members of our community, but there are others that this is all new for.
When it comes to scammers, we really are only as strong as our weakest link. As long as the villains find an easy mark within our ranks, they will be here. With every link strong and resistant against them, they’ll go elsewhere and find somewhere else to practice their evil art. That is the strength of community.
That’s all for us this week, and that will wrap up our second module of the Guardian Papers! We’ll circle back to the methodology of scammers again in a later article, but Module 2 was designed to give you a brief overview of who the villains are and what tools they use. Hopefully you have that context and it helps you in the battle against the forces of darkness.
Next time, we’ll be starting in on Module 3. In this part of the series, we’ll shift back to proactive security and talk in more detail about these mean streets. We’ll dive into the corners of the web3 world where you tend to encounter cyber criminals and talk about how to spot them in their natural habitats.
Until then, stay safe out there heroes! Keep your wits about you, and remember to share your knowledge with your friends… our community is our greatest tool to keep us safe!
Imagine an unchangeable digital ledger that records transactions across numerous computers in a way that guarantees the security and transparency of the data. This is the fundamental idea behind blockchain technology.
A blockchain is a decentralized, distributed ledger that records transactions in a way that is secure, transparent and immutable.
The Gala ecosystem has its own blockchain, built first for gaming but prepared to power projects from numerous industries beyond entertainment. It’s called GalaChain.
How Does Blockchain Work?
To understand the meaning of blockchain, let’s break down its key components and processes:
Blocks
A block is a collection of data or transactions. Each block contains a list of transactions, a timestamp and a unique identifier called a hash. The hash is like a digital fingerprint that uniquely identifies the block and its contents. No hash is identical to any other.
Chain
Blocks are linked together in a linear sequence, forming a chain, hence the name “blockchain.” Each block contains the hash of the previous block, creating a secure and chronological order of transactions. This linkage ensures the integrity and immutability of the blockchain.
Decentralization
Instead of a single central authority, a blockchain is maintained by a network of nodes (computers). Each node has a copy of the entire blockchain and participates in validating and recording transactions. This decentralized nature eliminates the need for intermediaries and increases security.
For example, the GalaChain ecosystem is largely powered by a decentralized network of Founder’s Nodes, operating through software on the home computers of community members. This is vastly different from a single warehouse that hosts all the data on centralized servers.
Consensus Mechanisms
To ensure all nodes agree on the state of the blockchain, consensus mechanisms are used. Common mechanisms include Proof of Work (PoW), where nodes solve complex mathematical puzzles to validate transactions, and Proof of Stake (PoS), where nodes are chosen to validate transactions based on the amount of cryptocurrency they hold and are willing to “stake” as collateral. We’ll dig deeper into these concepts in a future blog.
Cryptography
Blockchain uses cryptographic techniques to secure transactions and control the creation of new units. Public and private keys are used to sign transactions, ensuring that only the owner of the cryptocurrency can transfer it. The cryptography involved in public and private keys cannot be broken by any current computing methods, making it a secure and reliable way to store and transact data.
Why is Blockchain Important?
Blockchain technology offers several unique advantages, coming together to make it the cornerstone of the web3 revolution:
Security
Blockchain’s decentralized and cryptographic nature makes it highly secure. Once data is recorded in a block, it is nearly impossible to alter without changing all subsequent blocks, which requires consensus from the network.
Transparency
All transactions recorded on a blockchain are transparent and can be viewed by anyone. This transparency builds trust among participants and ensures accountability.
Immutability
A transaction cannot be altered or deleted once it has been added to a blockchain. This immutability ensures the integrity of the data and prevents fraud.
Decentralization
Blockchain operates without a central authority, reducing the risk of central points of failure and increasing the system’s resilience.
Efficiency
Blockchain can streamline numerous processes by eliminating the need for intermediaries, reducing transaction times and lowering costs.
Real-World Applications of Blockchain
Cryptocurrencies
Bitcoin, Ethereum and other cryptocurrencies like $GALA (commonly referred to as “altcoins”) rely on blockchain tech to enable secure and decentralized transactions. Cryptocurrencies use blockchain to record all transactions to transparency and prevent double-spending.
Supply Chain Management
Blockchain can enhance supply chain transparency by providing an immutable record of the journey of goods from origin to destination. This helps in verifying the authenticity of products and reducing fraud.
Healthcare
In healthcare, blockchain can securely store and share patient records, ensuring data privacy and improving interoperability between different healthcare providers.
Governance and Voting
Blockchain-based voting systems can enhance the security and transparency of elections. By providing a tamper-proof record of votes, blockchain can help prevent electoral fraud and increase voter confidence, no matter the context.
Gaming and Entertainment
Ecosystems like Gala use blockchain to manage digital assets and transactions. $GALA, the native token of the GalaChain ecosystem, facilitates secure and transparent in-game transactions and rewards.
To learn more about the GalaChain ecosystem and the $GALA token, read the Ecosystem Blueprint.
The Future of Blockchain
As blockchain technology continues to evolve, its potential applications are vast and transformative. Here are a few trends to watch:
Interoperability
Future blockchains will focus on interoperability, allowing different blockchains to communicate and share data seamlessly. This will enhance the overall functionality and adoption of blockchain technology.
While nearly every blockchain innovator sees interoperability as a key piece of the mass adoption puzzle, very few have made meaningful progress toward that goal and many blockchains exist “in their own world” with stringent onboarding requirements. This is why GalaChain was built to seamlessly bridge assets to and from the massively popular Ethereum Virtual Machine.
Scalability
Improving the scalability of blockchain networks is a key focus. Solutions like sharding and layer-2 protocols aim to increase transaction speeds and reduce costs, making blockchain more practical for large-scale applications.
Decentralized Finance (DeFi)
DeFi platforms are creating a parallel financial system that operates on blockchain, offering services like lending, borrowing, and trading without traditional intermediaries. This could democratize access to financial services globally, but it presents a unique set of challenges in terms of regulation.
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs)
NFTs are unique digital assets stored on the blockchain. They are revolutionizing the way we think about ownership and value in the digital world, impacting industries such as art, music, and gaming. These digital assets are one of the easiest applications of blockchain to understand. Imagine a unique digital collectible with a built-in certificate of authenticity. That’s an NFT
Regulatory Developments
As blockchain technology gains mainstream adoption, governments and regulatory bodies are working to create frameworks that balance innovation with security and compliance.
Blockchain is Here to Stay
Blockchain technology is a revolutionary innovation that underpins the Web3 movement. By providing a secure, transparent, and decentralized way to record and verify transactions, blockchain is transforming industries and paving the way for a more open and inclusive digital future. As the technology matures, its applications will continue to expand, driving innovation and creating new opportunities.
Stay tuned for more blogs in our explainer series, where we’ll dive deeper into the fascinating world of Web3 and its key concepts!
