What Is a Blockchain Oracle? Ethereum Explained
A blockchain oracle is an application that sources, verifies and transmits external, or off-chain, information to smart contracts on a blockchain. Ethereum documentation uses oracles to explain how contracts can work with information that is not already on the chain. Why oracles are needed Ethereum smart contracts cannot, by default, access information stored outside the...
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What Is a Rollup? Ethereum Layer 2 Explained
A rollup is a Layer 2 scaling approach documented by Ethereum. It executes transactions outside Ethereum Layer 1 and posts data or results to Layer 1, where the underlying chain’s consensus is used. Two documented rollup designs An optimistic rollup treats submitted transactions as valid by default and provides a challenge period in which a...
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What is the difference between crypto held on an exchange and self-custodied crypto in a failure?
Short answer: If crypto is held on an exchange, a platform failure can become a question about the provider’s records, terms, custody arrangement, insolvency process and any claim you may have. If crypto is self-custodied, the exchange is not holding it for you, so an exchange insolvency is usually not the immediate problem. The risk...
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Can deepfake detection prove a video is real?
Can deepfake detection prove a video is real? No. A positive deepfake-detector result cannot prove that a video is real, that the person shown made it, or that the financial claim in the video is true. It is one technical signal, usually expressed as a probability or risk assessment. It is not a certificate of...
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What does ‘verifiable’ mean in a digital credential or blockchain record?
What does ‘verifiable’ mean in a digital credential or blockchain record? Short answer: “Verifiable” usually means that software can check a cryptographic proof and detect whether the protected data has been changed. In a digital credential, that may show that a particular key signed the credential and that the credential passes technical checks. In a...
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What is a stablecoin in a real UK payment?
What is a stablecoin in a real UK payment? A stablecoin payment would be a transfer of a privately issued digital token from a payer to a merchant, with an issuer or intermediary handling the connection between that token and pounds. The token might move on a distributed ledger, but the payment still depends on...
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What happens to crypto if the owner loses capacity?
What happens to crypto if the owner loses capacity? Crypto does not automatically become accessible when its owner can no longer manage their affairs. The practical outcome depends on two separate questions: who has authority to act for the person, and what is technically needed to reach the assets. An England and Wales property and...
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Why do stablecoin rules involve both the FCA and Bank of England?
Why are both regulators involved? Because a stablecoin can be two things at once: a cryptoasset product issued and used in a market, and a payment arrangement that could matter to the wider financial system if it becomes widely used. The FCA’s role is the broader cryptoasset and conduct perimeter. The Bank of England’s role...
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Can AI-generated screenshots prove a crypto transaction?
Can AI-generated screenshots prove a crypto transaction? No. A screenshot, whether made by a person or generated or edited with AI, is only an image of a claim. It can show what someone wanted you to see, but it does not by itself prove that a payment was sent, received, settled, or controlled by a...
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If a crypto exchange fails, what records help prove your claim?
If a crypto exchange fails, what records help prove your claim? The most useful evidence is a dated record that links you, the exchange account, and the amount or assets you say were owed. Keep the original files where possible: identity and verification records, account statements or exports, transaction history, bank or card records, deposit...
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Why does a familiar face make a crypto scam feel real?
Why does a familiar face make a crypto scam feel real? A familiar face makes a crypto scam feel real because it borrows trust that was earned somewhere else. A celebrity, financial presenter, adviser, colleague or relative may be recognisable, but recognition does not prove that they approved the offer, control the account or sent...
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If I die with crypto, how can my executor find it?
Short answer: an executor usually starts with a discovery record, not a blockchain search. Check exchange and trading-platform accounts, bank and card statements, email, phones and computers, wallet apps, personal papers, and people who helped with the deceased person’s finances. HMRC publishes a similar checklist for personal representatives.[1] Finding evidence of a holding is different...
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