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World’s Fastest EVM Completes its First Hackathon

Telos Foundation

Telos Blockchain (ticker: TLOS), home to the world’s fastest, most inexpensive, energy efficient ( Net Zero ), non-congested, credibly neutral, truly decentralized and non-aiding and abetting ( No front running / MEV ) tEVM, is thrilled to announce the winners of the Telos Spark hackathon 2022! The entire team is ecstatic by the number of entries received for the first Telos Spark Hackathon. There were 156 entries and 26 published projects; The team is proud and truly inspired by the traction of this initiative. So many great projects that the team allocated another 20k TLOS to add two more finalists. The judging of these projects ended up being an incredibly challenging task for the team due to all the quality entries. Especially because they were all promising and unique. The most prevalent common denominator that all these great projects had in common was the dedication by each individual team. “These last couple of weeks have blown away all our expectations. Many quality projects are now growing deep roots within the tEVM, and they are loving it and we them. Lots of synergy here and lots of gravity to the speed, low fixed costs and credible neutrality of the tEVM. Telos is not just a hackathon chain. It is a perfect place to build high-performance, scalable and real-world-ready applications!” Justin Giudici, CEO of the Telos Foundation Please congratulate the Telos Spark Winners! ( Watch Video Here ) 1st place: Kluest - 100,000 TLOS 2nd place: Telos Spark Bridge - 50,000 TLOS 3rd place: Chedda - 10,000 TLOS 4th place: Refund - 10,000 TLOS 5th place: Telos.Build - 10,000 TLOS 6th place: VideoWiki - 10,000 TLOS 7th place: Shojiru. - 10,000 TLOS Take a moment and watch the initial video submitted by our first-place winner; From the entire Telos Team, Congratulations! A big thank you to ALL participants of the Hackathon, and please continue to build on Telos! There will be many more hackathons coming. Please continue to follow us on social media. Some inner thoughts: "The dedication, quality, and performance of the Kluest team lead the way. We are excited to see a hackathon project close to a genuine product and could be launched on Telos EVM very soon!" Kersten Wirth, Program Manager & Speaker of the Jury, Telos Core Development "Seeing these applications built in such a short time is exciting. I am always thrilled to see executed transactions on testnet and mainnet in our block explorers as proof that the teams created something that works!" Jesse Schulman, Lead Architect and TCO, Telos Core Development "We have been overwhelmed by the quality of applicants to the Spark Hackathon. The engagement process with applicant teams has been an inspiration, demonstrating the continued strong growth profile in our dApp ecosystem. We can't wait to have these projects built on Telos!" AJ Dinger - Head of Business Development, Telos Foundation "The proof that Telos EVM is ready to accept virtually any project and development and allows teams to build real solutions in such a short time frame is impressive. We are proud that our work enables the Ethereum communities to migrate and deploy on tEVM in a breeze." Douglas Horn,, Strategy and Vision, Telos Core Development On behalf of the entire Team, we want to also thank our friends at Taikai ( https://taikai.network ) for their outstanding support and incredible platform - built on Telos. Some take away notes from the dApps: The majority of these teams have built a dAPP on Telos for the first time. All were excited about easy deployment, fanatic technical support, super-fast transactions, overall performance, and extraordinary low cost. The Seven Telos Spark Finalists KluestApp – (Real World #Metaverse) Allows users to create, play, share & monetize interactive experiences using proven cutting-edge augmented reality & geolocation technologies. https://kluest.com/ Telos Spark Bridge - It is a seamless solution for users to access various dApps to effortlessly bridge their tokens between #Telos native and tEVM at a fraction of the cost and effort. https://spark-bridge.tswaps.com/ Chedda - A lending protocol with isolated lending pools and VE token mechanics allows the token holders to direct token emissions to lending pools. https://telos-hackathon.chedda.store/lend Refund - An expense management system for DAOs. The app tracks and files expenses such as fuel, travel, and meals. Refund makes it easier to track and reimburse all the expenses in your DAO. https://github.com/aleksandargolubovic/TelosSparkHackathon Telos Build - A fundraising platform exclusively for the Telos EVM. https://telos.build/about VideoWiki - Turn your Event Audience into #NFT Fan Clubs. Conduct audience drops for your townhalls, launch parties, and AMAs. https://video.wiki/ Shojiru - A proof-of-concept of a native Telos yield optimizer. A yield optimizer with improved tokenomics to provide a further yield to farmers. https://shojiru.netlify.app/ About Telos Live since 2018, Telos Blockchain (ticker: Tlos) is a third-generation smart contract platform that offers compatibility with Solidity, Vyper and Native C++ smart contracts. Telos provides full EVM/Solidity support with fixed low-cost gas fees and no front running. Uniquely, Telos also offers a path to fee-less transactions via its robust native C++ smart contract support. Even while operating as a Net Zero Blockchain, the chain still sustainably support hundreds of millions of transactions per day, produces blocks in 0.5 second intervals (on a first-in-first-out basis, eliminating front running on the network) and securely validates transactions via a credibly neutral and globally decentralized block producer network. The Telos Blockchain has the throughput needed to facilitate and scale the thriving Metaverse / Web 3.0 better than any other blockchain. Its performance is unrivaled in the industry and was purpose-built to offer speed, scalability, cost-effectiveness, credible decentralization, and end-user fairness. Telos, harnesses its power by utilizing tight C++ on the frontend and a custom WASM runtime environment on the backend. About The Foundation The Telos Foundation is a Decentralized Autonomous Organization established as a promotional and funding body to advance the Telos Blockchain Network and provide support to network applications. Contact Details The Team hello@telosfoundation.io Company Website https://www.telos.net/

April 22, 2022 04:57 PM Eastern Daylight Time

Video

Telos Neutralizes its Past and Present Carbon Footprint - Net Zero

Telos Foundation

Telos Blockchain (ticker: TLOS) is thrilled to announce to the billion plus global citizens that proudly celebrate and embrace Earth Day that they now have a carbon-neutral smart contract option. Telos with the consulting aid of Plannet Zero, part of RedShaw Advisors Ltd, a leading carbon risk management and procurement firm, have committed to purchasing sequestration projects that will negate the emissions of the blockchain’s entire history. The offsetting is being performed in the form of biochar, which sequesters carbon (removes it from the atmosphere permanently), versus buying emission avoidance credits. Going Net Zero is the sweet spot that the Telos core developers have been striving to tap into for some time now. Up until now Telos’ energy consumption has been scaled down via decarbonization to bring the energy consumption down to less than 0.000002 kWh per transaction. This was monumental when compared to Bitcoins’ 2,258.49 kWh per transaction, Ethereum’s 238.22 kWh per transaction or even Visa’s ~0.00148 kWh per transaction where Telos is still a massive ~740x less. This was a great stride, and the team is very proud of this achievement, but it was still short of the goal of becoming environmentally invisible. Plannet Zero worked with Telos to calculate their carbon footprint by conducting an analysis to quantify the Telos blockchain’s energy consumption over the life of the chain. This analysis dated back to the first block ever generated, late 2018. Now, Telos is continuing to work closely with Plannet Zero to validate Telos’ emissions profile and carbon reduction purchases. Telos has also already allocated the funds needed to continue sequestering the equivalent release of carbon by the blockchain into the future. The commitment made was to first neutralize the carbon footprint of the past and then to continue neutralizing the carbon footprint as needed. As a result, Telos will now be a Net Zero Layer 1 blockchain that is still ludicrously fast, inexpensive, not congested, credibly neutral, decentralized, easy to deploy on and free of any front running / MEV. “dApps now running on the tEVM will be running carbon neutral smart contracts by default. The same neutrality umbrellas over all the end users minting and trading NFTs or coins on the Telos Blockchain. There is something bigger than all of us to be said about this achievement!” AJ Dinger, Telos Head of Business Development In addition to offsetting the blockchain’s carbon footprint, Telos in conjunction with Plannet Zero, is in the final stages of meeting all carbon neutral requirements for Scope 1, Scope 2 and operational scope 3 emissions for every aspect of Telos, including Telos Foundation and Telos Core Development staff. The carbon offset will be all encompassing and will be in full compliance with BSI PAS 2060 and will be verified by BSI. About Telos Live since 2018, Telos Blockchain (ticker: Tlos) is a third-generation smart contract platform that offers compatibility with Solidity, Vyper and Native C++ smart contracts. Telos provides full EVM/Solidity support with fixed low-cost gas fees and no front running. Uniquely, Telos also offers a path to fee-less transactions via its robust native C++ smart contract support. Even while operating as a Net Zero Blockchain, the chain still sustainably support hundreds of millions of transactions per day, produces blocks in 0.5 second intervals (on a first-in-first-out basis, eliminating front running on the network) and securely validates transactions via a credibly neutral and globally decentralized block producer network. The Telos Blockchain has the throughput needed to facilitate and scale the thriving Metaverse / Web 3.0 better than any other blockchain. Its performance is unrivaled in the industry and was purpose-built to offer speed, scalability, cost-effectiveness, credible decentralization, and end-user fairness. Telos, harnesses its power by utilizing tight C++ on the frontend and a custom WASM runtime environment on the backend. About The Foundation The Telos Foundation is a Decentralized Autonomous Organization established as a promotional and funding body to advance the Telos Blockchain Network and provide support to network applications. Contact Details The Team hello@telosfoundation.io Company Website https://www.telos.net/

April 22, 2022 09:07 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Video

SFAA Annual Meeting Highlights Landmark Legislative Wins and Accomplishments and Initiatives; Membership Elects Board

SFAA

The Surety & Fidelity Association of America (SFAA), a nonprofit, nonpartisan trade association representing all segments of the surety and fidelity industry, held its annual meeting last week with more than 175 members and guests attending. John Welch, SFAA chair and president and CEO, CNA Surety, and Lee Covington, SFAA president and CEO, presided over the event each providing updates on SFAA’s accomplishments from the past year and ongoing initiatives. Welch opened the meeting by emphasizing how amazing it was to finally be back in person after 2 years of “Zoom” meetings and thanked members for their leadership and contributions to SFAA’s work. The SFAA Membership then elected the Board of Directors, adding two new members to the Board: Steve Lubin, President, Surety Division, Crum & Forster and Stephen Ruschak, Executive Vice President, Arch Surety. Covington provided updates on SFAA’s advocacy accomplishments and goals, SFAA PAC, and SFAA’s Strategic Priorities, in addition to the results from the 2022-Member Survey, which showed a dramatic increase in SFAA’s effectiveness in all categories since the 2019 Member Survey. A “Year in Review” video celebrating SFAA’s accomplishments throughout 2021 was shared, which included the 97-0 Senate vote on the SFAA TIFIA-bonding amendment to the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The video also highlighted the successful launch of the SFAA and NASBP Contractor Bonding Education and Mentoring Program for minority and other disadvantaged or emerging contractors, as well as an update on a record year for the SFAA Foundation’s Intern and Scholarship Program for underrepresented college students, with 17 internships and scholarships awarded totaling $85,000. The winners of the 2021 Surety Industry Awards were announced via a celebratory video and those in attendance were invited to the stage to accept their award. Charlie Cook, a renowned political analyst, then took the stage and delivered an impactful keynote presentation, captivating the audience with his uncanny and deep insights into the current political landscape in Washington, D.C. and across the country. To end the meeting, two leading political and policy experts, Mike Nielson of CGCN Group and Kichelle Webster from Stewart Strategies, participated in an insightful “Inside the Beltway” panel discussion moderated by SFAA’s president and CEO Lee Covington. The Surety & Fidelity Association of America (SFAA) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan trade association representing all segments of the surety and fidelity industry. Based in Washington, D.C., SFAA works to promote the value of surety and fidelity bonding by proactively advocating on behalf of its members and stakeholders. The association’s more than 425 member companies write 98 percent of surety and fidelity bonds in the U.S. For more information visit www.surety.org. Contact Details Peter Roth +1 703-401-0676 proth@surety.org Company Website https://surety.org/

April 21, 2022 12:34 PM Eastern Daylight Time

SFAA Elects Board of Directors, New Chair, and Officers

SFAA

The Surety & Fidelity Association of America (SFAA), a nonprofit, nonpartisan trade association representing all segments of the surety and fidelity industry, held its Annual Meeting and Board of Directors meeting on April 14 and 15, 2022. During the Annual Meeting on Wednesday, April 14 th the SFAA membership elected the SFAA Board of Directors and during the Board of Directors meeting on Thursday, April 15 th the Board elected the Officers and Executive Committee Members: Officers and Executive Committee Members Robert Murray, SFAA Chair, Head of Surety, Zurich North America Robert Raney, SFAA Vice-Chair, Head of Construction Surety, Travelers Companies John F. Welch, SFAA Past-Chair, President & CEO, CNA Surety Group Rick Ciullo, Chief Operating Officer, The Hartford Insurance Group Mike Keimig, President & CEO, Markel Surety Corporation Timothy Mikolajewski, President, Global Surety, Liberty Mutual Group Stephen Ruschak, Executive Vice President Surety, Arch Insurance Group Other Elected Board Members Antonio C. Albanese, Head of Surety, Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company Ken Bearley, President – Bond Division, Great American Insurance Companies Ken Chapman, Executive Vice President – Surety, IAT Insurance Group Stephen M. Haney, Division President, North America Surety & CUO, Global Surety, Chubb Surety James Kawiecki, President of Surety, Hanover Insurance Group Matt Lubin, President, Surety Division, Crum & Forster Alan Pavlic, President/COO, Old Republic Surety Group Sarina Puccio, Head of Credit and Surety, Munich Reinsurance America, Inc. Michael Seff, Head of Surety, Intact Insurance Specialty Solutions Gary Stumper, National Surety Leader, Westfield Group Larry Taylor, President, Merchants Bonding Company Group The board welcomed newly elected board members Steve Lubin (Crum & Forster) and Stephen Ruschak (Arch Surety) and recognized outgoing board members Steve Anderson (Swiss Re) and Nancy Giordan-Ramos (Main Street America) for their outstanding service on the board and to the industry. The board also thanked John Welch for his leadership and contributions to the industry during his two years of service as SFAA Chair. The Surety & Fidelity Association of America (SFAA) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan trade association representing all segments of the surety and fidelity industry. Based in Washington, D.C., SFAA works to promote the value of surety and fidelity bonding by proactively advocating on behalf of its members and stakeholders. The association’s more than 425 member companies write 98 percent of surety and fidelity bonds in the U.S. For more information visit www.surety.org. Contact Details Peter Roth +1 703-401-0676 proth@surety.org Company Website https://surety.org/

April 21, 2022 12:27 PM Eastern Daylight Time

ECO BOOST: SPRING INTO ACTION FOR EARTH DAY

YourUpdateTV

A video accompanying this announcement is available at: https://youtu.be/DoF37ftEqEk Earth Day was created back in 1970 to increase awareness and appreciation for the planet’s natural environment. Over the past four decades this holiday has grown tremendously, and today over a billion people are expected to take part in some sort of celebratory activity. The theme for this year’s Earth Day on April 22 nd is Investing In Our Planet —everybody doing their part, including governments, industry, and individuals. Author of the Mom’s Guide to Growing Your Family Green, Terra Wellington, says many of our daily activities can either help or hurt the planet, adding, “There are a few easy things every individual can do to help keep the Earth healthy and happy.” GARDENS, PARKS & GREEN SPACES: One easy way to support a greener world on the local level begins in your own garden. Wellington suggests planting more trees in your neighborhood and surrounding communities. This family-friendly activity not only teaches children about the environment, but each tree helps capture carbon dioxide, lower temperatures, and filter pollutants. Wellington says if you’re traveling this summer, it’s a good idea to plan a trip to a national park. The National Park System encompasses 423 sites in the United States. They span across more than 84 million acres, with parks in each state and extending into the territories, including Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and Guam. She adds that, “Being in nature helps you appreciate it and want to preserve it.” The Wellness Lifestyle Contributor suggests finding the perfect place to serve as a basecamp for your next adventure, highlighting the more than 75 percent of Travelodge by Wyndham hotels that are located less than an hour’s drive from a national park. She points out that the brand is a longtime supporter of the National Parks Conservation Association and has an ongoing commitment to help preserve the nation’s parks, along with other sustainability initiatives. As families plan their next adventure, Wellington suggests taking advantage of a great Earth Day deal Travelodge by Wyndham has this month offering 20 percent off two nights or more. For more information, visit Travelodge.com Instagram: @Travelodge GREENER FOOD CHOICES: About one third of greenhouse gas emissions come from the global food supply chain. Wellington says it’s important to consider making greener food choices in order to have a more positive impact on climate change. One easy way to get started is by participating in Meatless Mondays. This initiative promotes adding more healthy plant-based foods into your family’s diet. Wellington likes the idea of reducing meat to help reduce greenhouse gases. Along the same lines, Wellington says it’s also important to choose products that follow climate friendly techniques to grow their ingredients. One brand she points to is Airly Foods—the first-ever climate friendly snack that helps remove greenhouse gases from the air in every bite. After further review, Wellington discovered that this type of work is done through the brand’s innovative farming practices, including growing grains that remove greenhouse gases, electronic transportation, zero emissions baking, and negative carbon footprints for all of their ingredients. Wellington loves looking at the back of each cracker box to see how much CO2 is removed from their air, while enjoying four tasty sweet and salty varieties—cheddar, sea salt, chocolate, and salted caramel that come in the shape of a cloud. For more information, visit AirlyFoods.com Instagram: @ airlyfoods Facebook: @ airlyfoods Twitter: @ airlyfoods HOME & SEASONAL TIPS: As Earth Day approaches, Wellington has a few other tips to participate in this year’s awareness day. She recommends investing in ceiling fans for the summer. They have been found to help reduce the use of electricity and air conditioning. Another Earth friendly tip is to use LED lightbulbs. They are now widely available and a great way to lessen energy usage. These bulbs can also last up to 25 times longer than other lightbulbs. She also recommends turning off lights and unplugging devices when they’re not in use. As the summer months approach, the Wellness Lifestyle Contributor suggests biking more, saying, “The fewer cars on the road, the less carbon emissions polluting the air and contributing to global warming.” Wellington also points to reusable water bottles as a way to make greener practices a part of your daily living. Finally, she says, “Enjoy your local farmer’s market,” adding, “Besides supporting local agriculture, you’ll be purchasing seasonal food that often is transported shorter distances to get to your plate.” For more information, visit simplemomsguide.com Contact Details YourUpdateTV +1 212-736-2727 yourupdatetv@gmail.com

April 20, 2022 03:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time

Video

Telos' Decentralization Rivals that of Bitcoin and Ethereum

Telos Foundation

Telos Blockchain (ticker: TLOS), the world’s most robust and decentralized ESG compliant layer 1 platform and home to the world's fastest, highest capacity EVM (tEVM), derives credible neutrality and decentralization from at least 42 equally distinct validating nodes compared to the much smaller number of major mining pools securing Bitcoin and Ethereum. After a thorough competitive analysis comparing Telos’ decentralization to the decentralization of many of the other top Layer 1 chains, the Foundation has confirmed its assumptions. Based on validator equality and crucial factors regarding architecture and finances, the team confirmed that Telos is indeed one of the leading chains regarding credible neutrality and decentralization. As mining pools lack equality, massive node counts become irrelevant: As depicted in the pie charts above, Telos, via its governance, has maintained an equitable distribution amongst all its active validators and Bitcoin and Ethereum have not. Instead, the mining pools of both Bitcoin and Ethereum have now become centralized. The hypothesis is that over the years the well-funded pools have overtaken the little ones. Despite the substantial number of nodes, to be a credibly neutral peer-to-peer network, the network must also sustain even splits in validator power / responsibilities. Without this equality, the insulating strengths of decentralized peer-to-peer networking becomes significantly degraded. A decentralized network made up of equitable validators adds a powerful layer of insulation against multiple scenarios. For example, a multi-government coalition could potentially implement disruptive regulations or restrictions on blockchain. If only a handful of validators / mining pools need to be targeted, it becomes much easier for those governments to impose their will and degrade the insulation that a peer-to-peer network is supposed to provide. In fact, an event far smaller than this could instantly interrupt some chains from operating as they intended. However, the problem is not just limited to government interference. It is also the potential of a coalition amongst the validator majority that threatens the decentralization and stability of a chain. Despite having many nodes, it appears that for Bitcoin it would take only ~5 large mining pools to form a majority, only ~4 for Ethereum and 22 for Telos (as depicted in the pie charts above). Aside from this significant (4x to 5x) difference, it is also worth noting that the community fairly votes the Telos validators into active slots vs Bitcoin / Ethereum in which the mining pool’s principles are anonymous and can simply buy their way into a majority position. Hence, the centralization and lack of credible neutrality that has now formed. Credible neutrality cannot exist in an environment in which control and influence is exerted by small groups of well-funded people. This move towards validator centralization also leads to neutrality questions that are impossible to answer. For example, are the validator majorities' ambitions in line with what is best for the chain or themselves? To put the potential gravity of this into perspective one needs to understand that the principal/s of a majority sized mining pool can easily be a crime syndicate, and no one would know about it due to the anonymity. In fact, all the major mining pools can hypothetically be owned by crime syndicates, and no one would ever know. In contrast to this, with chain-governed validator equality and ongoing fair community voting, these credibility and neutrality questions are simply non-existing issues. In fact, all these chain degrading scenarios are exactly what the Telos architecture and governance have insulated against. As a chain’s validator network becomes unequal in size; the more it will move towards centralization, the more its neutrality will become biased and the more these chain breakdown scenarios may become a reality. Insider allocation cost blockchain’s their credible neutrality: Being that Telos was a 100% bootstrap project (95% of the coins airdropped to the community, 5% were used as equal pay to the almost 150 contributors, no insider handouts, and no ICO), the team already knew that its insider allocation was at the same level as Bitcoin’s beginnings, zero. Telos is the only L1 chain besides Bitcoin to have ever reached this stage of maturity while still maintaining zero insider allocation. All the other L1 chains are believed to be centralized and unable to become credibly neutral public infrastructure due to their insider allocation (click here to see). With this being noted, these chains will most likely never be utilized by governments as a legal tender and dApps depending on this infrastructure will never be 100% insulated by the full power of credible neutrality and decentralization. Telos Decentralization: Since its inception, the validators of the Telos Blockchain are both equally sized and regionally / globally diversified. Plus, no ungoverned wallet is known to hold more than 2% of the chain. From chain architecture to finances, decentralization and neutrality are of the highest priority for the chain. Over the last 4 years, Telos has grown into a truly utopian blockchain option for both private and public infrastructure. It is ludicrously fast, very inexpensive, extremely energy efficient, credibly neutral, non-congested, super easy to deploy on and the only chain that fully insulates the public from the front running / MEV that is plaguing Ethereum. Decentralization Highlights: Telos is the only third generation layer 1 blockchain to have never done an ICO [initial coin offering] and this non-action alone insulates the chain greatly regarding insider collusion and the SEC security law suits. Telos, at its inception, electively chose to stay a bootstrap project and rise in the same fashion as Bitcoin. All other third generation layer 1 chains (including Ethereum) have done ICOs and will more than likely be forced to file with the SEC as securities. The former and current SEC Chairman have both expressed that every ICO [initial coin offering] they have seen are indeed securities, that they have jurisdiction, and that federal securities laws apply. The validating architecture of other networks might be structured via peer-to-peer architecture, but they are not credibly decentralized due to the distribution of monetary / voting / validating power. Again, insider allocation is non-existent and as you can see above in the pie charts depicting validator decentralization, Telos Validators are proportionally equal. Telos governance has the fairest voting system in existence, called Telos Decide. It is tamper-proof and secured by the Tlos coins that investors own. A coin holder can vote on behalf of the coins they hold and rely on outcomes that do not require any further human involvement. No other Layer 1 offers this level of automated community fairness. Especially because the Telos governance documents may be dynamically amended by the votes of the coin holders in a process that is entirely controlled by on-chain smart contracts. Governments, investors, dApp creators, and end users need not forget that the fundamental features which bring the most value to blockchain are credible neutrality and decentralization. With credible neutrality and decentralization the following attributes are all significantly enhanced: Utility Redundancy Security / Trust Individual Financial Independence dApp Sovereignty Fair Voting Legal Tender The actions and inactions of Telos are driven by the belief that the public and private sectors require credibly neutral blockchain infrastructure in a third-generation capable format. Credible neutrality, ludicrously fast speeds, energy efficiency, and super low-cost transactions make Telos the perfect crypto currency for the global internet and for the people. About Telos Live since 2018, Telos Blockchain (ticker: Tlos) is a third-generation smart contract platform that offers compatibility with Solidity, Vyper and Native C++ smart contracts. Telos provides full EVM/Solidity support with fixed low-cost gas fees and no front running. Uniquely, Telos also offers a path to fee-less transactions via its robust native C++ smart contract support. Utilizing less than 0.000002 kWh per transaction, the chain can sustainably support hundreds of millions of transactions per day, produce blocks in 0.5 second intervals on a first-in-first-out basis (eliminating front running on the network) and securely validate transactions via a credibly neutral and globally decentralized block producer network. The Telos Blockchain has the throughput needed to facilitate and scale the thriving Metaverse / Web 3.0 better than any other blockchain. Its performance is unrivaled in the industry and was purpose-built to offer speed, scalability, cost-effectiveness, credible decentralization, and end-user fairness. Telos, harnesses its power by utilizing tight C++ on the frontend and a custom WASM runtime environment on the backend. About The Foundation The Telos Foundation is a Decentralized Autonomous Organization established as a promotional and funding body to advance the Telos Blockchain Network and provide support to network applications. Contact Details The Team hello@telosfoundation.io Company Website https://www.telos.net/

April 20, 2022 10:07 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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38-Year Printing Business Avante Print Center Converts to International Minute Press Franchise in Mesa, Arizona

Minuteman Press International Inc

For nearly 38 years, Carl Denti and his family operated their independent print shop Avante Print Center. In Feb. 2022, Carl sold the business to new owners Devin and John Weiss through Minuteman Press International’s conversion program, which connects sellers with qualified buyers. Carl says, “It was time for me to join my wife Patricia in retirement and I think the transition to International Minute Press has gone very well. I needed to like the people who bought the business and Devin and John are great. My daughter Renee has stayed on working in the business and we also have employees with 25 years of tenure, so it was important for us to be comfortable with everything.” Devin and John have rebranded as International Minute Press in Mesa, AZ, and are operating out of the same location at 218 West Hampton Avenue, Unit 13 that was home to Avante Print Center. Devin says, “We believe owning a business gives us a real sense of pride. By purchasing this established business, we strive to honor our clients, our community, and our staff with continued personalized service and outstanding support.” History of the Business On March 27 th, 1984, Carl Denti and his wife Patricia opened Avante Print Center in Mesa. Carl shares, “I had owned a previous business in Kansas City that I sold. We moved to Arizona and at that time I decided to invest in another business. I told my accountant I didn’t want anything in credit collections (which I did for 15 years) and I didn’t want to own a food-related business. One of the things he came up with was printing.” He adds, “Patricia was very influential in having us go into the printing industry as well. She previously had worked for Hallmark in Kansas City doing calligraphy, and she wanted something we could do together. In our first full year in business together, we made a 39.8% profit.” While printing proved to be a viable business for Carl and Patricia, he also appreciated the freedom it afforded him to pursue other passions. Carl says, “From 1992 – 2021, I also served as the pastor of a church in Arizona, which I never really considered to be work plus it didn’t really pay the bills. Printing was an easy business to market and sell, and I felt it had easier customer acquisition than other industries.” Over the years, Avante Print Center became a second-generation family business. Carl explains, “Patricia and I worked together in the business until she retired a few years ago, and my daughter Renee also worked with us and is still working in the business today even after it was sold.” Growing the Business For the 37-plus years he was in business, Carl operated on four key principles. He says, “No matter what business you own, for me the principles never change. We built Avante Print Center following these principles: Customer service was the apex. We decided that no one would out-service us. When we said we were going to do something, we did it. My goal was to get at least 98% (if not 100%) of all jobs out on time and done right. My definition of quality is that the job has to be accepted by the customer, that they will be happy with it and order it again, and that they will tell someone about the work that we did and refer our business. You have to be able to go after the market and you have to sell. One of the problems people run into when starting a business is that their goal is to simply unlock their doors. Instead, your goal needs to be to make a profit, which takes a lot more than turning the key and turning on lights. Know your numbers and live by your numbers. It’s as simple as that.” Selling the Business While Carl was thinking of retiring at some point, he actually wasn’t actively pursuing a sale of his printing business. He explains, “I did not have the business listed for sale but I’ve known Jack Panzer (Minuteman Press International Regional Vice President) for approximately eight years. When I received a letter and flyer in the mail that Jack could help sell my business, I thought that was very smart of Minuteman Press International do reach out. Jack was very laid back whenever we spoke, and he was always open and honest along with being knowledgeable about the industry.” At the beginning of 2021, the timing was right. Carl shares, “In January 2021, Jack approached me with a qualified buyer that he thought could be a fit for my shop. I told him what it would cost if someone wants to buy our business. I also consulted with my daughter Renee, who decided she didn’t want to take over the business. We started the sales process in March 2021 and it was finished by Feb. 2022.” As for the transition to the new owners, Carl says, “I think the transition has gone very well. I needed to like the people who bought the business and Devin and John Weiss are great. Renee has stayed on working in the business and we also have employees with 25 years of tenure, so it was important for us to be comfortable with everything.” “Jack Panzer is a terrific guy from top to bottom. He’s very transparent and open as is the team at Minuteman Press International. I don’t think there’s a better way to sell your business and here’s why: 1. You’re not paying any commission; 2. You’re working with a well-established 45-year company in Minuteman Press International; and 3. Your buyer is going to have a much better chance of succeeding with the support they are getting. If they succeed, then your employees will be taken care of… and that really means a lot to us.” -Carl Denti, Retiring Owner, Avante Print Center (now International Minute Press, Mesa, AZ Meet the New Owners Devin and John Weiss are no strangers to owning a business. Devin says, “ John and I have owned several diverse businesses but most recently I owned a dance studio for 25 years. When John and I met approximately 10 years ago, we started a business together shortly after, that we continue to operate.” When the opportunity came to buy an established business while also receiving additional support, Devin says, “Honestly, it was a no brainer. We had planned to open an International Minute Press in the area in 2020, just before the pandemic hit. A year and a half later, our Regional VP Jack Panzer, reached out with this opportunity to buy Avante Print Center and convert it to International Minute Press. It was such a great opportunity that we couldn’t pass it up!” When asked why they chose franchising, Devin answers, “We have looked at other businesses and franchises, and were completely impressed with Minuteman Press International by comparison. The amount of hands-on guidance and support are second-to-none. In the past, we have always done businesses independently, and having the support of this franchise in particular was a great draw.” “Jack Panzer and his team were with us every step of the way; they made the sale as easy as it could be. Since buying the business, the support has been great. From the training to the in-store training with the local field staff, it has superseded our expectations in every way. Their patience and knowledge gave us the confidence we needed to enter a new industry for us.” -Devin Weiss, Owner, International Minute Press, Mesa, AZ (formerly Avante Print Center) Entering the Printing Industry Now that Devin and John are operating their business, they are excited to hit the ground running and continue the legacy that Carl and family started. Devin says, “We believe owning a business gives you a sense of pride. By purchasing an established business, we strive to honor our clients, our community, and our staff with continued outstanding service and support.” As a full-service printing and marketing services provider, Devin and John are excited to help other local businesses and organizations with virtually everything they need to operate and promote themselves. Devin says, “Wide format printing is especially exciting right now. There is such a wide variety of custom printed products that we can provide to our clients – we haven’t found anything we can’t do yet in-house or with the help of our franchisor and vendors.” As she reflects on owning a business vs. having a job, one word comes to mind for Devin: “Freedom!” She elaborates, While you have to put in many hours as the owner of a business, they are on your own schedule and with your own priorities. You decide what your life entails every day, and we wouldn’t trade that for the world! We love to travel and the freedom makes that possible.” Advice for Others Devin shares this advice for others who are looking to buy a business right now: “Do your due diligence. A positive attitude is a must. Survey other business owners about their experiences, both good and bad. There is a lot of preparation that goes into buying a business, and having a successful franchise to guide you is a great option. Ultimately, no matter how prepared you are, it is a learning experience!” International Minute Press is located at 218 West Hampton Avenue, Unit 13; Mesa, AZ 85210. For more information, call 480-969-4888 or visit https://minuteman.com/us/locations/az/mesa21. Learn more about #1 rated Minuteman Press International franchise opportunities at https://minutemanpressfranchise.com. To find out how to sell your printing business through Minuteman Press International, visit https://bit.ly/minutemanpressconversions. Contact Details Minuteman Press International Chris Biscuiti +1 631-249-1370 cbiscuiti@mpihq.com Company Website https://minutemanpressfranchise.com

April 19, 2022 10:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Agora Data Named as NIADA National Corporate Partner

Agora

Agora Data, whose suite of resources empowers independent auto dealers and finance companies to finance more non-prime customers, continues as a National Corporate Partner by the National Independent Automobile Dealers Association (NIADA). Agora is committed to leveling the playing field for non-prime auto loan originators, a market that has long been underserved and underbanked. The company plans to offer NIADA's 20,000 independent dealers the same advantages typically reserved for big franchise operations. For example, Agora made history with the first-ever crowdsourced subprime securitizations in the auto industry. They were completed in December 2020 and May 2021, and more securitizations are underway. Agora also recently unveiled the first-ever reducing interest rate line of credit. These new offerings pave the way to an unlimited borrowing capacity, the lowest interest rates, and the highest advances without requiring personal guarantees. The company combines its innovative financial solutions with a groundbreaking technology platform that calculates the book value of non-prime auto loans. Dealers and finance companies can now determine the value of their portfolios using Agora's patent pending predictive modeling. With this information, dealers can track the performance of their portfolios and optimize the capital they need to fuel growth by using a line of credit or by opportunistically selling a portion of their loans. "A single objective drives Agora - to remove the barriers dealers and finance companies face when attempting to access needed capital." said Steve Burke, CEO of Agora Data, Inc. "As a former Buy Here Pay Here dealer, I know firsthand how tough this industry can be for even the brightest entrepreneurs. It is amazing how auto loan originators can grow when the odds are stacked against them, so imagine what they can accomplish if these obstacles are removed." NIADA has been supporting independent dealers for 75 years, so it is the perfect fit for a strategic industry partner, says Burke. "NIADA built its reputation on connecting dealers with the most effective solutions providers in our industry. Agora is honored to continue being counted among those trailblazers." Agora Data will be attending and exhibiting at the upcoming NIADA Convention & Expo being held June 20-23, 2022, at the MGM Grand Las Vegas. The company plans to announce and demonstrate many innovative advancements, all designed to fuel growth for dealers and finance companies. About Agora Data, Inc: Agora Data's platform delivers a suite of tools to empower independent auto dealers and finance companies to finance non-prime customers. Agora's family of auto finance products provides a wide range of critical funding paths so originators can obtain the cash they need to fuel growth, compete, and build wealth. Powered by patent pending technology, originators now have access to robust data analytics and planning resources to help optimize the performance of their portfolios. Agora Data made history by closing the first-ever crowdsourced subprime auto securitization in 2020 and followed that up with its second transaction in early 2021. For more information, visit agoradata.com or contact us at 877-592-4672. Contact Details Shelly Vandeven +1 682-282-4130 media@agoradata.com Company Website https://agoradata.com/

April 18, 2022 09:03 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Industrial Defender Unveils New Standalone OT Vulnerability Management Solution, Immunity by ID™

Industrial Defender

Industrial Defender, the leader in operational technology (OT) security, today announced the launch of Immunity by ID™, a new cloud-based offering that helps industrial security teams turn their OT asset inventory information into a risk-based vulnerability management program. The product is offered as a standalone solution or as an add-on within the Industrial Defender platform. Using current OT hardware and software inventory information from an asset visibility tool, CMDB or spreadsheet, this vendor-agnostic solution generates a prioritized list of vulnerabilities based on asset criticality and risk level, along with applicable patching data, to help keep critical infrastructure secure in the face of global cybersecurity threats. Immunity by ID is up and running in a matter of days, allowing users to begin their vulnerability management program immediately, and simple, transparent pricing lets them easily scale a subscription as they mature. “With the looming threat of a global cyber war, critical infrastructure organizations of all sizes are looking for straightforward solutions that rapidly deliver actionable intelligence to help them protect their essential systems,” said Peter Lund, CTO at Industrial Defender. “We created this tool to help companies better utilize the asset information they already have that may be nothing more than a data dump right now. Unlike other OT vulnerability management offerings on the market, ours is powered by an anonymized cloud, so as soon as a vulnerability is published, you'll know whether a device is at risk without waiting for the next software update.” Industrial Defender will be offering a free 14-day trial of Immunity by ID to qualified users at North American and European critical infrastructure companies through the end of May to support their efforts to shore up cybersecurity defenses. For more information, visit https://www.industrialdefender.com/immunity-by-industrial-defender/. About Industrial Defender Since 2006, Industrial Defender has been solving the challenge of safely collecting, monitoring, and managing OT asset data at scale, while providing cross-functional teams with a unified view of security. Their specialized solution is tailored to complex industrial control system environments by engineers with decades of hands-on OT experience. Easy integrations into the broader security and enterprise ecosystem empower IT teams with the same visibility, access, and situational awareness that they’re accustomed to on corporate networks. Learn more at www.industrialdefender.com. Contact Details Erin Anderson +1 617-675-4206 eanderson@industrialdefender.com Company Website https://www.industrialdefender.com

April 14, 2022 09:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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