What is Ethereum 2.0 and Why Does It Matter? – Decrypt

Posted on October 8, 2020 by Danzig

In brief

Its been a long time coming, but Ethereum 2.0 is finally on the horizon. The major update aims to address the networks scalability and security through a number of changes to its infrastructuremost notably, the switch from a proof of work consensus mechanism to a proof of stake model.

Ethereum 2.0, also known as Eth2 or Serenity, is an upgrade to the Ethereum blockchain. The upgrade aims to enhance the speed, efficiency, and scalability of the Ethereum network so that it can process more transactions and ease bottlenecks.

Ethereum 2.0 is launching in several phases, with the first upgrade expected to launch towards the end of 2020.

While Ethereum 1.0 uses a consensus mechanism known as proof of work (PoW), Ethereum 2.0 will use a proof of stake (PoS) mechanism.

With blockchains such as Ethereum, there is a need to validate transactions in a decentralized way. Ethereum, like other cryptocurrencies, currently uses a consensus mechanism known as proof of work (PoW).

In this system, miners use computer hardware processing power to solve complex mathematical puzzles and verify new transactions. The first miner to solve a puzzle adds a new transaction to the record of all transactions that make up the blockchain. They are then rewarded with cryptocoins. However, this process can be energy-intensive.

Proof of stake (PoS) differs in that instead of miners, transaction validators stake crypto for the right to verify a transaction. These validators are selected to propose a block based on how much crypto they hold, and how long theyve held it for.

Other validators can then attest that they have seen a block. When there are enough attestations, a block can be added to the blockchain. Validators then are rewarded for the successful block proposition. This process is known as forging or minting.

The main advantage of PoS is that it is far more energy-efficient than PoW, as it decouples energy-intensive computer processing from the consensus algorithm. It also means that you dont need a lot of computing power to secure the blockchain.

One of the main reasons for the upgrade to Ethereum 2.0 is scalability. With Ethereum 1.0, the network can only support around 30 transactions per second; this causes delays and congestion. Ethereum 2.0 promises up to 100,000 transactions per second.This increase will be achieved through the implementation of shard chains.

Did you know?

The current Ethereum set-up has a blockchain consisting of a single chain with consecutive blocks. This is secure, but very slow and not efficient. With the introduction of shard chains, this blockchain is split up, enabling transactions to be handled in parallel chains instead of consecutive ones. This speeds up the network, and can scale more easily.

Ethereum 2.0 has been devised with security in mind. Most proof of stake networks have a small set of validators, which makes for a more centralized system and decreased network security. Ethereum 2.0 requires a minimum of 16,384 validators, making it much more decentralizedand hence, secure.

However, according to Lior Yaffe, co-founder ofJeluridaand lead core developer of theArdorandNxtblockchains, there is a potential vulnerability that focuses on the level of participation rates in the network.

Security audits of Ethereum 2.0 code are being carried out by organizations including blockchain security firm Least Authority.

The Ethereum Foundation is setting up a dedicated security team for Ethereum 2.0 to research possible cybersecurity problems in the cryptocurrency. In a tweet, Ethereum 2.0 researcher Justin Drake stated that the research will include fuzzing, bounty hunting, pager duty, cryptoeconomic modelling, applied cryptanalysis, formal verification.

Following a series of testnet launches, Topaz, Medalla, Spadina and Zinken, the full roll-out of Ethereum 2.0will take place in three phases: Phase 0, 1, and 2 (developers like to count from zero). Phase 0 is aiming for a 2020 launch date, with the other phases coming in the following years.

Phase 0 sees the implementation of the Beacon Chain; this stores and manages the registry of validators as well as deploying the proof of stake (PoS) consensus mechanism for Ethereum 2.0. The original Ethereum PoW chainwill run alongside this so there is no break in data continuity.

Phase 1, due in 2021, will see the integration of proof of stake shard chains. The network is expected to launch with 64 shards (enabling 64 times more throughput than Ethereum 1.0) though at launch they won't support accounts or smart contracts.

Phase 1.5, an interim update due in 2021, will see the Ethereum mainnet officially becoming a shard and transitioning to proof of stake.

Phase 2, slotted to launch in 2021/22, will see shards becoming fully-functional and compatible with smart contracts. It also involves adding Ether accounts and enabling transfers and withdrawals, implementing cross-shard transfers, and contract calls. It will build execution environments for scalable apps that are built on top of Ethereum 2.0.

September 2020 brought news that the Spadina testnet had run into problems on its launch, forcing at least one more "dress rehearsal" before launch. Spadina is a short-term testnet designed to trial genesis, or the creation of the first block, on Ethereum 2.0. It is distinct from the larger Medalla testneta general sandbox that represents the up-and-running version of the network. Issues with the Spadina testnet included low participation, coupled with "confusion" and "invalid deposits."

Ethereum 2.0 is on track for a November 2020 launch, according to one developer on the project, but what will the future hold for the cryptocurrency?

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has laid out a roadmap of how the next five to ten years could pan out for Ethereum 2.0. He says that over the last two years there has been a solid shift from "blue sky" research, trying to understand what is possible, to concrete research and development, trying to optimize specific primitives that we know are implementable and implement them.

He says that the bulk of the challenges is now increasingly around development, and development's share of the pie will only continue to grow over time.

In June 2020, Buterin noted that Ethereum 2.0 will need to rely on current scaling methods such as ZK-rollups for at least two years before implementing shard chains.

Excerpt from:

What is Ethereum 2.0 and Why Does It Matter? - Decrypt

Ethereum, Litecoin, and Ripples XRP Daily Tech Analysis October 7th, 2020 – Yahoo Finance

Posted on October 8, 2020 by Danzig

Ethereum

Ethereum slid by 3.69% on Tuesday. Reversing a 0.37% gain from Monday, Ethereum ended the day at $340.78.

A bullish start to the day saw Ethereum rise to an early morning intraday high $355.33 before hitting reverse.

Falling short of the first major resistance level at $357.00, Ethereum slid to a late intraday low $336.73.

Ethereum fell through the days major support levels before a move back through to $340 levels. The partial recovery saw Ethereum break back through the third major support level at $337.99.

At the time of writing, Ethereum was down by 0.36% to $339.55. A bearish start to the day saw Ethereum fall from an early morning high $340.86 to a low $339.54.

Ethereum left the major support and resistance levels untested early on.

Ethereum would need to move through the $344.28 pivot to support another run at the first major resistance level at $351.83.

Support from the broader market would be needed, however, for Ethereum to break back through to $350 levels.

Barring an extended crypto rally, the first major resistance level would likely cap any upside.

Failure to move through the $344.28 pivot would bring the first major support level at $333.23 into play.

Barring another extended sell-off, however, Ethereum should avoid sub-$330 levels. The second major support level sits at $325.68.

First Major Support Level: $333.23

Pivot Level: $344.28

First Major Resistance Level: $351.83

23.6% FIB Retracement Level: $257

38.2% FIB Retracement Level: $367

62% FIB Retracement Level: $543

Litecoin fell by 0.73% on Tuesday. Following on from a 0.77% decline on Monday, Litecoin ended the day at $46.01.

It was a mixed start to the day. Litecoin rose to a late morning high $46.85 before hitting reverse.

Falling short of the first major resistance level at $47.11, Litecoin slid to a mid-afternoon intraday low $45.55.

Finding support at the first major support level at $45.57, Litecoin rallied to a late afternoon intraday high $48.22.

Story continues

Litecoin broke through the first major resistance level at $47.11 and the second major resistance level at $47.87.

A late sell-off, however, saw Litecoin revisit sub-$46 levels before wrapping up the day at $46 levels. The first major support level limited the downside late in the day.

At the time of writing, Litecoin was down by 0.48% to $45.79. A bearish start to the day saw Litecoin fall from an early morning high $46.02 to a low $45.77.

Litecoin left the major support and resistance levels untested early on.

Litecoin would need to move through the $46.59 pivot to support a run at the first major resistance level at $47.64.

Support from the broader market would be needed, however, for Litecoin to break back through to $47 levels.

Barring an extended crypto rally, the first major resistance level would likely cap any upside.

In the event of another breakout, Litecoin could re-test resistance at $48 before any pullback. The second major resistance level sits at $49.26.

Failure to move through the $46.59 pivot level would bring the first major support level at $44.97 into play.

Barring another extended sell-off on the day, however, Litecoin should steer clear of sub-$43 levels. The second major support level at $43.92 should limit any downside.

First Major Support Level: $44.97

Pivot Level: $46.59

First Major Resistance Level: $47.64

23.6% FIB Retracement Level: $45.30

38.2% FIB Retracement Level: $71

62% FIB Retracement Level: $100

Ripples XRP fell by 2.12% on Tuesday. Reversing a 1.07% gain from Monday, Ripples XRP ended the day at $0.24565.

It was a bullish start to the day. Ripples XRP rallied to an early morning intraday high $0.25929 before hitting reverse.

Ripples XRP broke through the first major resistance level at $0.2545 and the second major resistance level at $0.2584.

Coming up against resistance at $0.26, Ripples XRP slid to a late intraday low $0.24050.

Ripples XRP fell through the first major support level at $0.2466 and the second major support level at $0.2426.

Finding late support, Ripples XRP broke back through the second major support level to end the day at $0.2450 levels.

At the time of writing, Ripples XRP was down by 0.29% to $0.24493. A bearish start to the day saw Ripples XRP fall from an early morning high $0.24560 to a low $0.24488.

Ripples XRP left the major support and resistance levels untested early on.

Ripples XRP will need to move through the $0.2485 pivot to support a run at the first major resistance level at $0.2565.

Support from the broader market would be needed, however, for Ripples XRP to break out from $0.2500.

Barring an extended crypto rally, the first major resistance level would likely cap any upside.

In the event of an extended rally, Ripples XRP could re-test resistance at $0.26 before any pullback. The second major resistance level sits at $0.2673.

Failure to move through the $0.2485 pivot would bring the first major support level at $0.2377 into play.

Barring another extended crypto sell-off, Ripples XRP should steer clear of sub-$0.23 levels. The second major support level sits at $0.2297.

First Major Support Level: $0.2377

Pivot Level: $0.2485

First Major Resistance Level: $0.2565

23.6% FIB Retracement Level: $0.3638

38.2% FIB Retracement Level: $0.4800

62% FIB Retracement Level: $0.6678

Please let us know what you think in the comments below.

Thanks, Bob

This article was originally posted on FX Empire

Ethereum, Litecoin, and Ripples XRP Daily Tech Analysis October 7th, 2020 - Yahoo Finance

KuCoin Resumes Operations with Bitcoin, Ethereum and USDT – ihodl.com

Posted on October 8, 2020 by Danzig

Cryptocurrency exchange KuCoin is progressively restoring its services after suffering a hacker attack last month.

The platform has just announced its users can now make deposits and withdrawals in Bitcoin, Ethereum and Tether. It should be noted the USDT is available for withdrawal on all compatible blockchains: Tron, EOS, Omni and ethereum. KuCoin has been working to improve the security of the respective wallets.

KuCoin has pointed out the platform's deposit addresses have been updated. All deposits sent to the above addresses will be redirected to the users' accounts, however, the exchange does not recommend their use.

KuCoin suspended all deposits and withdrawals of assets after the attack.

KuCoin's CEO Johnny Liu reported over the weekend the exchange had identified the suspects in the recent platform attack in which the hackers stole around $280M.

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Ethereum 2.0 – Updated Roadmap – CryptoTicker.io

Posted on October 8, 2020 by Danzig

In an interesting development, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin revealed in a tweet thread on Oct 05 that the Eth2 roadmap is getting an update and the scaling improvements might arrive sooner than previously anticipated. The relatively new concept is called rollups and it will be combined with sharding to create a synergistic effect to turbo-charge the Ethereum network capacity.

Vitalik Buterin squashed the rumors that sharding was being cancelled for Ethereum 2.0 upgrade, because of the complexity and increasing delays. The suggested rollups can arrive by deployment of Ethereum 2.0 Phase 1 (introduction of sharding and data storage on shards without transaction processing). They can increase the existing 15-45 TPS capacity to 1000-4000 TPS a 100x increase!

They would work, Vitalik argued, because even though sharded applications require fully deployed Ethereum 2.0 upgrade. The same isnt true for sharded rollups, which can work effectively with only Ethereum 2.0 Phase 1, since rollups only need the chain for data storage and not computation.

Currently, we have ~15-45 TPS. Rollups offer a ~100x increase in throughput. Sharding offers a ~64x increase. These two stack multiplicatively; rollups *on top of* sharding offer a ~6400x (!!) increase in throughput.

So, rollups on top of sharding can eventually bring the Ethereum network capacity to 25,000-100,000 TPS an increase of 6400x from this point. However, that itself is likely years away, but we might see the rollups in action as early as 2021.

So it's not "rollups instead of sharding", it's "rollups on top of sharding". That said, rollups are already here or coming soon even before sharding, and rollups without sharding still offer that 100x increase in throughput. So get on a rollup today!

A Rollup is essentially a Layer-2 scaling solution for blockchains. Its a sidechain connected to a rather smaller contract on the mainnet. It allows for processing off-chain and only using the mainnet for final settlement, relieving network congestion and reducing processing time / fees.

Ethereum 2.0 is the next big upgrade for the Ethereum network. It will bring Proof of Stake (POS), eWASM and sharding. It will reduce the resources, required to run the Ethereum network, as well as bring scalability and performance improvements.

The Eth2 upgrade will be implemented in three phases, with the first Phase 0 Beacon Chain, expected by the end of Q2 2020, which will introduce the staking facility. This will be followed by the Phase 1 in Q1 2021, which will introduce sharding and allow data to be stored on shards, however transactions cant still be processed.

The Phase 2 will make the Ethereum 2.0 truly complete and the network operational, after its introduction at some point in 2022. It will bring the Ethereum WebAssembly (eWASM) replacing the now operational Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM). Only after the Phase 2 has been rolled out, proper execution of smart contracts and transactions can commence on the new Eth2 chain. The Eth1 and Eth2 chain will gradually merge with each other.

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Ethereum: The "Black Swan" Event Didn’t Keep this Phoenix From Rising – Elliott Wave International

Posted on October 8, 2020 by Danzig

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Breaking: UK bans sale of Bitcoin, Ethereum and XRP derivatives to retail consumers – Crypto News Flash

Posted on October 8, 2020 by Danzig

Source: cryptostock- Pixabay

The market for crypto-derivatives, e.g. Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP and other cryptocurrencies has taken a severe hit. The UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has banned its trading for retail customers. In the official announcement, the regulator declared that the above products are harmful to consumers for 5 main reasons.

Firstly, the regulator stated that the underlying assets do not have a reliable basis to protect their value. Second, the FAC believes that abuse, illegal activities and financial crime are widespread in the secondary crypto market. In addition, the FAC argues that cryptocurrencies are extremely volatile and that end-users do not have a sufficient understanding of the underlying assets. Finally, the FCA claims that investing in derivatives of cryptocurrencies is harmful investment. The regulatory authority states:

These features mean retail consumers might suffer harm from sudden and unexpected losses if they invest in these products () which includes well-known tokens such as Bitcoin, Ether or Ripple (XRP). Specified investments are types of investment which are specified in legislation. Firms that carry out particular types of regulated activity in relation to those investments must be authorised by the FCA.

The UK regulator claims that the ban on crypto derivatives will save UK consumers around 53 million a year. In addition to the ban, the FCA has determined to prohibit the distribution and marketing of any derivatives to UK consumers. Specifically, the FCA mentions the following derivatives: options, futures, contracts for difference (CFDs), and exchange-traded notes (ETNs).

The measures apply to companies and firms operating within or outside the United Kingdom. The Executive Director of Strategy and Competition for the FCA, Sheldon Mills, stated:

This ban reflects how seriously we view the potential harm to retail consumers in these products. Consumer protection is paramount here.

Significant price volatility, combined with the inherent difficulties of valuing cryptoassets reliably, places retail consumers at a high risk of suffering losses from trading crypto-derivatives. We have evidence of this happening on a significant scale. The ban provides an appropriate level of protection.

According to the FCAs announcement, the prohibitive measures will take effect from 6 January 2021. The regulator has asked companies and firms that trade in crypto derivatives to stop their operations before this date. In the meantime, the regulator advises investors to stay alert for crypto-scams. From now on, they qualify all companies offering crypto derivatives products to retail consumers as possible scams.

In a separate document, the FCA also clarified that its measures will affect firms that issue or create crypto derivatives, firms that distribute them (brokers, financial advisors, and investment platforms), marketing firms that reference the referred derivatives, traders, consumers, and retail consumer organizations. With regard to consumers, the FCA states:

Retail consumers with existing holdings can remain invested following the prohibition, until they choose to disinvest. There is no time limit on this, and we do not require or expect firms to close out retail consumers positions unless consumers ask for this.

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Breaking: UK bans sale of Bitcoin, Ethereum and XRP derivatives to retail consumers - Crypto News Flash

Xfers Launches Fully-Regulated Digital Singapore Dollar on Ethereum and Zilliqa – Crypto Briefing

Posted on October 8, 2020 by Danzig

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Xfers Launches Fully-Regulated Digital Singapore Dollar on Ethereum and Zilliqa - Crypto Briefing

BTC Analyst: Bitcoin’s Fundamentals are in Moon Mode – Ethereum World News

Posted on October 8, 2020 by Danzig

Quick take:

Veteran Bitcoin Analyst, Willy Woo, has shared his most recent analysis of BTC in which he states that all Bitcoin fundamentals are in moon mode.

According to Mr. Woo, Bitcoins on-chain data and metrics from infrastructure players point to BTC awakening in 2021. He explains that the current Bitcoin market environment is similar to mid-2016 and before the impressive bull run that resulted in BTCs all-time high of $20k in December 2017.

Mr. Woo shared his analysis of Bitcoin via the following tweet.

Back in late Septemeber, Will Woo had also suggested that Bitcoin is in the process of decoupling from the traditional stock markets as a result of Bitcoins internal adoption. He explained:

Bitcoin will decouple from traditional markets soon, but driven by its internal adoption s-curve (think startup style growth) rather than changes in perceptions as a hedging instrument by traditional investors. Fundamentals of user adoption have already broken all time highs.

To further demonstrate the said Bitcoin internal adoption, Willy Woo shared the following chart, courtesy of Glassnode, which shows the number of active Bitcoin addresses since mid-2016, charted alongside price.

Additionally, Willy Woo pointed out that Q4 might be a great one for Bitcoin based on the compression of BTCs difficulty ribbon. To further demonstrate the probability of a great Q4 for Bitcoin, Mr. Woo shared the following tweet by the team at Glassnode which includes a chart that has the bullish difficulty ribbon.

Summing it up, Willy Woo has suggested that Bitcoins fundamentals are in moon mode with a possibility of a bullish Q4, 2020. Additionally, next year will also be a positive one for Bitcoin in terms of gains as the current Bitcoin environment is similar to mid-2016.

In terms of market performance, Bitcoin has now shrugged off a total of four mega-events that would have traditionally caused panic selling. The first was Bitmex being charged by the CFTC for operating an illegal derivatives exchange.

Secondly, President Trump tested positive for COVID19. Thirdly, the UKs FCA banned crypto derivatives from retail traders. Fourthly, President Trump rejected a stimulus bill late yesterday that caused a massive pullback in the stock market.

However, Bitcoin is still holding its head above $10k and is currently battling to retain the $10,600 support zone. If this were 2018 or 2019, Bitcoin would have already dropped below $10k and declared dead once again.

ChainLink (LINK) Losing its $8.80 Support Opens the Doors to $7 – Ethereum World News

Posted on October 8, 2020 by Danzig

Quick take:

The digital asset of ChainLink (LINK) continues on its massive correction from its mid-August all-time high value of $20. Earlier today, LINKs value dropped below the crucial $8.80 support level to post a local low of $8.38. At the time of writing, ChainLink is trading at $8.82 and looks set to dip further in the days to follow.

The main reason $8.80 is a crucial level for ChainLink, is the fact that this was the last organic all-time high value before LINK marines heeded the call to liquidate Zeus Capital. ChainLink hit this value on the 15th of July and would only revisit it two weeks later on August 2nd. The latter date is also when LINK marines joined forces to begin their campaign of liquidating Zeus Capital.

Further taking a quick look at the daily LINK/USDT chart above, the following can be observed.

Summing it up, ChainLink is still very much in a downtrend. Earlier today, LINK dipped below the crucial $8.80 support zone that could ultimately open the doors to a $7 ChainLink. The latter price level provides sturdy support as this is also where the 200-day moving average lies.

As with all analyses of ChainLink, traders and investors are advised to use stop losses and low leverage when trading LINK on the various derivatives platforms.

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ChainLink (LINK) Losing its $8.80 Support Opens the Doors to $7 - Ethereum World News

Litecoin’s MimbleWimble is Live on Testnet, Full Activation in 2021 – Ethereum World News

Posted on October 8, 2020 by Danzig

In summary:

On the first of this month, the MimbleWimble protocol on the Litecoin (LTC) network went live on the testnet. The event was highlighted on Twitter by several Litecoin community members as can be seen below.

However, the highly anticipated launch of the Litecoin MimbleWimble protocol on the testnet was eclipsed by the two major events of the CFTC charging Bitmex with operating an illegal derivatives exchange and President Trump testing positive for COVID19.

According to the main MimbleWimble Developer, David Burkett, the code for the protocol can be found on Github. Therefore, any developer interested in checking out and running a testnet node can do so.

Mr. Burkett also explained that his main focus now was making MimbleWimble on the testnet more accessible to regular Litecoin users to start testing it out as well. This includes improving the automated builds, better documentation, and starting to build out wallet support.

He also gave 2021 as a rough timeline for the full activation of MimbleWimble on the Litecoin network.

Below is a statement from David Burkett further elaborating on the future of Litecoins MimbleWimble.

Right now, there are a number of areas in the code that are fragile or lack the necessary validation around edge cases, so Ill also be taking some time this month to harden the code, and start validating any remaining consensus rules we missed.

Once Im confident everything is working as designed, Ill start looking for ways to break the testnet, to make sure we find and resolve any security or stability weaknesses.

Next month, Ill share a detailed plan of all of the remaining work necessary to get MWEB (Mimblewimble Extension Block) merged to the main repo, so that miners and node operators can start signaling for activation sometime in 2021!

Litecoin's MimbleWimble is Live on Testnet, Full Activation in 2021 - Ethereum World News

Ethereum Dapp Volumes Hit $120 Billion in Third Quarter – Decrypt

Posted on October 8, 2020 by Danzig

In brief

Transaction volume on the Ethereum blockchain reached $119.5 billion in Q3 2020, surging by nearly 1,200% compared to the previous quarter, according to DappRadars industry report published today.

Per the report, Ethereums transaction volume amounted to only $10.2 billion just a few months agoin Q2 2020. Such a sharp increase became possible mostly thanks to the ongoing decentralized finance (DeFi) craze that keeps attracting yield farmers.

Among the 13 blockchains listed on DappRadar, Ethereum accounted for 96% of the total transaction volume, retaining its mantle of the biggest network by far. At the same time, the DeFi ecosystem was responsible for 99% of those figures.

We spot that the DeFi ecosystem is not only the number one category but also holds 99% of the value within the Ethereum blockchain in Q3 2020, DappRadar noted.

As Decrypt reported, the DeFi boom led to a major drawback as transaction fees keep growing rapidly. Over the past couple of months, Ethereum miners have been regularly setting new records in terms of their profits, successively earning $500,000, $800,000, even $1 million per hour in transaction fees alone. In September, miners even earned more from transaction fees than from block rewardsfor the first time in Ethereums history.

But that doesnt seem to bother the DeFi train. After all, people flock to yield farming to make more money on their funds, so high transaction fees are part of the spiel. But overblown fees began to choke other decentralized apps (dapps) besides DeFi, DappRadar noted.

In Q2 2020 we witnessed a tremendous drop [in the Games category] and the trend has continued into Q3 2020. The reason behind it is still high Ethereum gas prices and looking at the prevailing trends of the DeFi ecosystem, it doesnt look like that situation is going to change anytime soon, said the report.

Apart from gaming, marketplaces, collectibles, gambling and other dapps are also struggling with high transaction fees, although some of them are slowly but surely joining the DeFi hype, DappRadar added.

So, not only is all of DeFi pretty much on Ethereumbut all of Ethereum is now DeFi too.

Originally posted here:

Ethereum Dapp Volumes Hit $120 Billion in Third Quarter - Decrypt

Ethereum-Based Wallet MetaMask Adds Token Swaps to Its Features – Business Blockchain HQ

Posted on October 8, 2020 by Danzig

MetaMask recently announced a new add-on to its browser which can facilitate decentralized finance (DeFi) transactions for Ethereum-based tokens.

Token Swaps on MetaMask

The cryptocurrency wallet announced that token swaps will now be a feature that will be available on its browser extension. This function is ready to be leveraged by Firefox users, but MetaMask developers are working on providing the token-swapping feature on other browsers as well as on MetaMask mobile.

Token swaps directly from MetaMask will enable investors to swap and trade crypto assets they hold for any ERC-20/DeFi tokens they want across different decentralized exchanges (DEX), directly from the comfort of its browser. The feature operates like an aggregator by measuring different exchange rates across various crypto exchanges to come up with the best conversion.

MetaMask User Growth Surges

MetaMask, which is owned by ConsenSys and is arguably the most popular Ethereum wallet, recently recorded over a million active monthly active users on its platform, an achievement that is partially due to the recent launch of its application MetaMask Mobile. The application has served to onboard new users worldwide and has gained popularity in the USA, India, Nigeria, and the Philippines.

With the rise in popularity of the DeFi protocol industry, Uniswap, Yearn, Curve, Maker, and Aave are among the top projects leveraged by MetaMask users to invest, sell, lend, and borrow digital assets.

The launch of the token swapping feature on MetaMask is a huge achievement, as it provides a seamless trading experience for investors. Most DeFi protocols run on Ethereum blockchain and the new addition on MetaMask goes in stride with the DeFi boom, with the largest project by market capitalization being attributed to Uniswap.

Though the DeFi protocol has recorded a dip on DeFi Pulse, it still dominates with a total value locked of $2.22 billion, as of press time.

Image source: Shutterstock

First Ethereum Based Donor-Advised Fund Provider Launched By Investors In Chainlink And Synthetix – Forbes

Posted on October 8, 2020 by Danzig

Visual representations of cryptocurrency Ethereum and Bitcoins are placed on Japanese 10,000 yen ... [+] notes in this photo illustration on January 13, 2018, in The Hague, Netherlands. (Photo by Yuriko Nakao/Getty Images)

Endaoment, the first provider of donor-advised funds on the Ethereum blockchain operating as a 501(c)(3) non-profit is publicly launching today. Run by CEO Robbie Heeger, Endaoment is also the first project incubated and launched out of Framework Labs, the sister technology studio to Vance Spencer and Michael Andersons investment firm Framework Ventures. Donor-advised funds (or DAFs) have been one of the fastest growing areas of charitable giving the past few years, with a 2019 report from the National Philantropic Trust showing a sharp 55% rise of individual DAFs year over year.

[Ed note: Investing in cryptocoins or tokens is highly speculative and the market is largely unregulated. Anyone considering it should be prepared to lose their entire investment.]

With over 700,000 DAFs active today, the model is a great fit for crypto-natives interested in giving back. The crypto industry has suffered from bridging the gap between optimism and use cases, with only a few dominant financial use cases as yet proven. One important use case with proven demand that has often gone overlooked is charitable giving. So far, the friction hasnt been on the supply side, with plenty of newly-wealthy crypto holders, or the demand side (charities would love more donations) but on bridging the technology gap. As of now, donating via crypto required getting set-up with a major administrator of DAFs such as Fidelity, Vanguard, and Schwab, or going to each charity individually.

Drawbacks with the major administrators for cryptonatives include high fees, limited cryptocurrency donation rails, and friction in the ultimate conversion of crypto to USD for the end donation. Working with charities individually offers its own issues, as they would need to be set-up with a wallet and linked bank account allowing them to accept a certain amount of limited tokens. Once thats done, the ongoing burden of managing cryptocurrency, converting it, accounting, and cashing out to USD for use in daily operations is high for organizations with limited resources and technical know-how.

With Endaoment, that model is turned on its head. Says Heeger, "Endaoment is a new community foundation built specifically for the decentralized finance community. Effectively what we're doing is providing people the opportunity to have a dedicated account that is specifically geared toward their or their families charitable giving." Those interested in donating now simply need to go onto the Endaoment platform, create and fund a DAF. Then they provide guidance to Endaoment on where they want those funds to be directed, while Endaoment does the leg work of contacting the charity to let them know about their allocated funds and providing instructions to take delivery. The charity can receive the donations in USDC if they want to work with Endaoment on opening up direct crypto rails, but if not, Endaoment has partnered with Circle (the issuer of USDC) to use the Circle API to wire payment in USD directly to a charity.

"What we've built at Endaoment is basically two smart contract factories. One that creates a smart contract called a fund, or a donor-advised fund, and one that creates a smart contract that's called an organization. Each time somebody searches for an organization using endaoment.org, and they go to create a grant from that fund to that organization, we create an organization escrow contract on-chain. That basically serves as a smart wallet for that organization. It is a smart wallet that is effectively custodianed by Endaoment." The contracts have been audited by security research firm Open Zeppelin, with results available publicly.

Not only are they pioneering a new DeFi native model for giving, but Heeger has worked diligently to re-align the revenue generation mechanism for Endaoment from what he thinks is a broken traditional model. He sees the current DAF landscape as unduly profiting the major custodians, with funds deposited at major administrators of DAFs such as Fidelity, Schwab, and Vanguard recycled back into the system while they await disbursal. With average disbursal times of around 24 months from donation to disbursal, this incentivizes holding funds longer, while generating fees for the other side of the managers business on top of a fee for assets under management. Endaoment is attempting to fix this by charging fees only upon entry and exit from a DAF account that is weighted towards collection when funds are actually disbursed to charity, and no fee for assets under management.

Endaoment will take advantage of the progress made by automated market maker Uniswap in creating infrastructure to handle the long tail of cryptotokens being developed. Explains Heeger "We accept any Uniswap token with over $100k in liquidity, lifetime. We have unlocked a list of about 135 tokens and will continue to unlock more as Uniswap's liquidity deepens and more tokens come on-line to Uniswap."

While initially focused on providing the infrastructure for DAFs, Heeger sees a larger role for Endaoment as the Community Foundation for crypto, with crypto-native governance and operating protocols. The long term vision is to seamlessly integrate the technological advantages afforded by this new infrastructure to remake philanthropy at the community level in a way that accords with cypherpunk principals. Community Foundations are public charities that must be majority funded by the public, with a mission to support a specific region or community with targeted services.

At Endaoment, we aim to be the standard-bearing Community Foundation for the Decentralized Finance industry. Our first philanthropic service were offering is the Endaoment Donor-Advised Fund. Down the road, well look to emulate and develop other services like Community Endowment Funds, Issue & Org discovery tools and community powered governance controls. This will put Endaoment and its decisions, values and policies into the hands of its user base; its community. Says Heeger via email.

A long-time friend of Spencer and Andersons, Heeger is the bright, energetic, loquacious face of the future of charity. By taking a tech-first approach and thinking deeply about creating fundamental incentive structures to encourage best practices, he has a chance to build a powerful platform for giving in the digital age. As more and more financial activity moves onto DeFi, the wealth generated by these protocols and the early users can at times be enormousand happen fast. With Endaoment, a proven crypto use case of charitable giving finally has the organizational development its long needed to lower frictions for use. As time goes on, it will be fascinating to watch whether now that the model is being better developed if it can gain greater traction to become a force in the philanthropic world.

Disclaimer: Rory is an active trader and investor holding positions in several cryptocurrencies as well as equities and other private investments at any point.

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First Ethereum Based Donor-Advised Fund Provider Launched By Investors In Chainlink And Synthetix - Forbes

Bias, Bigotry, And Euthanasia | Scoop News – Scoop.co.nz

Posted on October 8, 2020 by Danzig

Thursday, 8 October 2020, 9:34 amArticle: New Zealand Christian Network

DR STUART LANGE

Arguably one of the most revealingpublic debates taking place in New Zealand over the lastweek was one on newshub nation, between Dr Sinead Donnelly(a medical specialist with extensive experience ofpalliative care and dying people in four countries, and aSenior Lecturer at Otago University Wellington) and DavidSeymour (a politician, and campaigner for the End of LifeChoice Act). You can watch it here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJHdQM460wQ&feature=youtu.be&t=668

Withdeep feeling, Dr Donnelly stated her view and that of manyother medical professionals that the End of Life Choice Actis an unsafe and dangerous law, which could imperilthe lives of thousands of vulnerable people every year. Shereferred to how many doctors see the Act as entirelyineffective in safeguarding against coercion, which isimpossible to detect, as it is often an internalisation offelt external pressures and suggestions. Mr Seymourresponded asserted that the safeguards were rigorous,but unconvincingly.

What was especially shocking aboutthe interview was that Mr Seymour accused Dr Donnelly ofjust making up false objections in an attempt tomislead, and that she should just come out and honestlyadmit that her objections to euthanasia are all based on herreligious views. This accusation was obviously deeplyoffensive to Dr Donnelly. She replied that her objectionswere entirely based on her clinical experience and the viewsof many others doctors and lawyers that the Act was veryunsafe. She also said that Mr Seymours accusation wasdisgraceful sectarian comment and bigotry at itsutmost.

A week or so earlier, Mr Seymour had takena similar approach in his response to a statement of theCatholic Bishops. Instead of addressing their points aboutthe lack of strong safeguards in the Act, he said that thebishops may have a philosophical view that life belongsto God, but they don't have the right to force it onothers. He added that that if the bishops want theirfreedoms respected, they need to engage in honest debatethat respects others have difference choices from theirs.Again, the implication was that religious people are beingdishonest in the reasons they give for opposing the End ofLife Choice Act, and that their criticisms should bedisregarded.

So is it true that it is onlyreligious people who oppose the End of Life ChoiceAct? No, clearly not. Is it true that many religiouspeople do oppose it? Yes. Is their objection onreligious grounds? To a significant extent, yes:religious people have a very high regard for theGod-given value of human life, and many of them prioritisethe care of vulnerable people over their own individualfreedoms. Should religious people be free to hold andarticulate their views publically? Absolutely yes. Arereligious people somehow being deceitful orscaremongering in exposing the weaknesses and dangers inthis Act? No, these are entirely valid critiques. Arereligious people seeking to impose their own personalreligious morality on society? No, they are making alegitimate ethical case that this Act is not safe forsociety in the long run, especially for societys old,sick, frail, and disabled; the care of societysvulnerable is certainly a moral issue, and all members ofsociety depend on that for our own safety. Is a society thatdismisses religious viewpoints going to be safe foranyone? We think not.

MARK MANEY

There is a common beliefin New Zealand society at the moment, particularly aroundthe current referendum questions, that because New Zealandis a secular society any argument that is largely promotedby Christians is invalid, even if the argument only invokessecular reasons and not Christian ones. The assumption seemsto be that because Christians are motivated by theirChristian principles, their arguments should be consideredsuspect. Why? Because even when Christians are givingsecular reasons for arguing something they are approachingmatters with a Christian bias and their argument musttherefore be rejected as unsound and irrelevant. But is thisfair? Not at all!

What does it even mean to truly be asecular society? There is debate about that. But thebest definition of a secular society, and the most inclusiveone, is that the State should be neutral in all mattersconcerning religion. In such a society, people are free toworship or not worship as they please. Secularism means theState must not favour one faith over another. Just asimportantly (and this is the key point that manynon-religious secularists miss), a secular State should notfavour non-religion over religion (or vice-versa).Non-religious secularists make a mistake when they assumethat secularism means the State should value non-religionover religion. Favouring non-religion is not truesecularism, it is just being anti-religious. And beinganti-religious is in itself a religious view.

Mostnon-religious people tend to believe that all religions arerelative: that most religions contain some truths (e.g. loveyour neighbour), but the idea that one is ultimately anduniquely true seems definitely false. They may cite theclassic story of the elephant and the blind men, orsomething like it:

No religion has all the truth.Every religion is like six blind men grabbing an elephant.One blind man grabs the trunk and says, God is like ahose. Another blind man grabs the elephants leg andsays, No, God is more like a tree stump. Anotherperson grabs the elephants tail and says, No, God ismore like a string. So, you see, every religion has partof the truth, but nobody sees all the truth.

Thefatal flaw with this story is that the only waynon-religious persons could possibly know that everyreligion has part of the truth, but not most or all of it,is if non-religious persons themselves see the wholepicture. The only way they could know that that allreligions and their adherents are blind is if theythemselves were not blind. The only way a non-religiousperson can say, Nobody has superior religiousknowledge is if they themselves have the superiorreligious knowledge which they have just said nobody elsehas.

The whole point of a secular society is that theState cannot and should not make that kind of claim abouteither religion or non-religion. A secular State must remainneutral, and in the public square religious andnon-religious people should be allowed to promote theirworldviews and make their arguments as they see fit. Ofcourse, in a secular democracy, if a Christian hopes toconvince an Atheist, or Hindu convince a Christian, or anAtheist convince a Muslim, of a particular policy, argumentsbased on presuppositions that all parties agree with will bemore effective. But to write off arguments just because theycome from Christians, or Muslims, or Atheists, is a form ofthe genetic fallacy.

A genetic fallacy is a logicalfallacy where one judges something as either good or bad onthe basis of where it comes from, or from whom it came. Thisfallacy avoids the argument by shifting focus ontosomething's or someone's origins. It's similar to an adhominem fallacy in that it leverages existing negativeperceptions to make someone's argument look bad, withoutactually presenting a case for why the argument itselflacks merit. Any reasoning that uses a logical fallacyas its basis should be abandoned.

In conclusion then,the common belief that because New Zealand is a secularsociety any argument that is largely promoted by Christiansis invalid, even if the argument only invokes secularreasons and not Christian ones, is based on amisunderstanding of secularism and is a logical fallacy.Secularism does not mean the State should be anti-religionor that no religion should be allowed in the public square.Secularism, at its best and most inclusive, means the State,and thus the public square, should be neutral towardsreligious claims. It is this form of secularism that willallow all Kiwis a part to play in our democraticinstitutions, from Atheist, to Muslim, to Hindu, to theChristian, and everyone else aswell.

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Bias, Bigotry, And Euthanasia | Scoop News - Scoop.co.nz

Euthanasia referendum: A GP’s perspective on the End of Life Choice Act – Stuff.co.nz

Posted on October 8, 2020 by Danzig

OPINION: In the lead up to the election, I feel compelled to add my perspective on the upcoming referendum on euthanasia. I have had some 30 years working in General Practice and one case I recall in particular helped shape my thoughts on how I will vote.

A few years ago, I was asked to do a house call for an issue related to a patient's terminal illness. To protect this patient's identity, I will refer to him as 'Jack'. He was actually my partner's patient, but as a GP in practice with my partner it fell to me to care for his patients when he was away on leave.

During the visit Jack requested me to help him end his life rather than continue to suffer from his degenerative condition.

While he was clearly fearful, he was lucid, fully aware of what he was requesting of me and he made his case in a logical, compelling manner.

123RF

GP Erich Kusel says there is one terminally ill patient he will never forget. (File photo).

READ MORE:*Euthanasia referendum: What is assisted dying?*Euthanasia referendum: Views on the End of Life vote*Euthanasia referendum: An oncologist's perspective*Euthanasia referendum: 'The proposed law isn't watertight'

He'd been diagnosed some years prior but, in recent times, had deteriorated considerably and was becoming increasingly dependent. As I found out later, he had made the same request of his usual GP on a number of occasions: he wanted medical help to end his life before his incapacity became extreme. He had a good understanding of his condition. He knew what was to be his likely mode of death and this clearly filled him with an understandable degree of fear of how things would be for him at the end.

Of course, I couldn't comply. After my house call, I never saw Jack again. My partner had done all he possibly could. Jack had full community and medical support in place. However, despite his physical limitations, he died alone having committed suicide some weeks later.

To this day I believe Jack was gravely let down, not only by myself, but also by the wider medical community. His dire action of suicide is stark, silent proof of failure to provide a humane end for a patient who had so earnestly asked for help. I believe Jack should have had the option of an assisted death.

Had such an option been available to him, he could have lived his final months with an easy mind and faced his end in the presence of, and being supported by, family and friends.

I believe my views are shared by many doctors. I have doctors in my own family who agree with me. They, among others, acknowledge the tragic consequences that follow from the lack of a humane law that would fill the one gap that is missing from current end of life options.

I have studied the End of Life Choice Act and find the eligibility criteria clear and uncomplicated. I can think of patient cases that would have fitted the criteria although most would not. The required process in my opinion is detailed and rigorous.

I acknowledge my discomfort in making my opinion public.However, if this helps other doctors reconsider the harm done to their patients and their whanau/family when the law obliges doctors to turn a blind eye to terminal suffering, then any personal discomfort is more than worth it. I feel I owe it to Jack to speak up.

Dr Erich Kusel MbChb (Otago), Dip Obs, FRNZCGP is medical practitioner currently working in the Wellington region.

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Euthanasia referendum: A GP's perspective on the End of Life Choice Act - Stuff.co.nz

Holy See releases 25-page document to ‘reaffirm as definitive teaching that euthanasia is a crime against human life’ – Catholic Leader

Posted on October 8, 2020 by Danzig

Right to life: A patient is pictured in a file photo chatting with a nun at Rosary Hill Home, a Dominican-run facility in Hawthorne, New York, that provides palliative care to people with incurable cancer and have financial need. Photo: CNS/Gregory A. Shemitz [/captions]

WITH the legalisation of assisted suicide and euthanasia in many countries, and questions concerning what is morally permissible regarding end-of-life care, the Holy Sees doctrinal office released a 25-page letter offering a moral and practical clarification on the care of vulnerable patients.

The Church is convinced of the necessity to reaffirm as definitive teaching that euthanasia is a crime against human life because, in this act, one chooses directly to cause the death of another innocent human being, the document said.

Titled, Samaritanus bonus: On the Care of Persons in the Critical and Terminal Phases of Life, the letter by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith was approved by Pope Francis in June, and released to the public on September 22.

A new systematic pronouncement by the Holy See was deemed necessary given a growing, global trend in legalising euthanasia and assisted suicide, and changing attitudes and rules that harmed the dignity of vulnerable patients, congregation prefect Cardinal Luis Ladaria said at a news conference on September 22.

It was also necessary to reaffirm Church teaching regarding the administration of the sacraments to and pastoral care of patients who expressly requested a medical end to their life, he said.

In order to receive absolution in the sacrament of Penance, as well as with the Anointing of the Sick and the Viaticum, he said, the patients must demonstrate their intention to reverse their decision to end their life and to cancel their registration with any group appointed to grant their desire for euthanasia or assisted suicide.

In the letters section on Pastoral discernment toward those who request euthanasia or assisted suicide, it said a priest could administer the sacraments to an unconscious person sub condicione if, on the basis of some signal given by the patient beforehand, he can presume his or her repentance.

The Churchs ministers can still accompany patients who have made these end-of-life directives, it added, by showing a willingness to listen and to help, together with a deeper explanation of the nature of the sacrament, in order to provide the opportunity to desire and choose the sacrament up to the last moment.

It is important to carefully look for adequate signs of conversion, so that the faithful can reasonably ask for the reception of the sacraments. To delay absolution is a medicinal act of the Church, intended not to condemn, but to lead the sinner to conversion, it said.

However, it added, those who spiritually assist these persons should avoid any gesture, such as remaining until the euthanasia is performed, that could be interpreted as approval of this action.

Chaplains, too, must show care in the health care systems where euthanasia is practised, for they must not give scandal by behaving in a manner that makes them complicit in the termination of human life, the letter said.

Another warning in the letter regarded medical end-of-life protocols, such as do not resuscitate orders or physician orders for life-sustaining treatment and any of their variations.

These protocols were initially thought of as instruments to avoid aggressive medical treatment in the terminal phases of life. Today, these protocols cause serious problems regarding the duty to protect the life of patients in the most critical stages of sickness, it said.

On the one hand, it said medical staff feel increasingly bound by the self-determination expressed in patient declarations that deprive physicians of their freedom and duty to safeguard life even where they could do so.

On the other hand, in some health care settings, concerns have recently arisen about the widely reported abuse of such protocols viewed in a euthanistic perspective with the result that neither patients nor families are consulted in final decisions about care, it said.

This happens above all in the countries where, with the legalisation of euthanasia, wide margins of ambiguity are left open in end-of-life law regarding the meaning of obligations to provide care.

The Church, however, is obliged to intervene in order to exclude once again all ambiguity in the teaching of the magisterium concerning euthanasia and assisted suicide, even where these practices have been legalised, it said.

Euthanasia involved an action or an omission which of itself or by intention causes death, in order that all pain may in this way be eliminated.

Its definition depended on the intention of the will and in the methods used, it added.

The letter reaffirmed that any formal or immediate material co-operation in such an act is a grave sin against human life, making euthanasia an act of homicide that no end can justify and that does not tolerate any form of complicity or active or passive collaboration.

For that reason, those who approve laws of euthanasia and assisted suicide, therefore, become accomplices of a grave sin that others will execute. They are also guilty of scandal because by such laws they contribute to the distortion of conscience, even among the faithful.

The letter also underlined a patients right to decline aggressive medical treatment and die with the greatest possible serenity and with ones proper human and Christian dignity intact when approaching the natural end of life.

The renunciation of treatments that would only provide a precarious and painful prolongation of life can also mean respect for the will of the dying person as expressed in advanced directives for treatment, excluding however every act of a euthanistic or suicidal nature, it said.

However, it also underlined the rights of physicians as never being a mere executor of the will of patients or their legal representatives, but retains the right and obligation to withdraw at will from any course of action contrary to the moral good discerned by conscience.

Other aspects of end-of-life care the letter detailed included: the obligation to provide basic care of nutrition and hydration; the need for holistic palliative care; support for families and hospice care; the required accompaniment and care for unborn and newly-born children diagnosed with a terminal disease; the use of deep palliative sedation; obligation of care for patients in a vegetative state or with minimal consciousness; and conscientious objection by health care workers.

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Holy See releases 25-page document to 'reaffirm as definitive teaching that euthanasia is a crime against human life' - Catholic Leader

Why Should Euthanasia be Legally Permitted in the Middle East? – Egyptian Streets

Posted on October 8, 2020 by Danzig

Why Should Euthanasia be Legally Permitted in the Middle East?

Euthanasia refers merciful killing, in Greek. It is a process that comprises several forms, such as active, passive (suspending treatment), voluntary (with the patients approval), involuntary (with a caretakers consent), and physician aided.

The practice has sparked a storm of controversy around the world; some countries, namely Middle Eastern countries, view it as premeditated murder while other countries regard it as a dignified death for the irredeemably ill.

Death is sometimes the only available portal for eliminating intolerable suffering that cannot be mitigated otherwise. The existence of unbearable agony, as assessed by a medical doctor, is a fundamental yardstick for euthanasia in Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg.

According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), losing some physical faculties can sometimes be worse than losing life itself. Studies by the NCBI showcase that suffering does not inflict merely the biometrical realm, it also affects other aspects, such as daily functioning, self-esteem, and social life.

Petitions for euthanasia fall squarely into two main categories: Firstly, those patients who have no families or spouses to assist them usually demand their right for a dignified death, arguing that it is unthinkably brutal to be asked to keep suffering in silence. Secondly, some families raise petitions for euthanasia for the sake of easing their psychological agony since images associated with patients undergoing a long-lasting phase of death while being racked with pain is much more harrowing than witnessing a preordained death.

Actor Liam Neeson once opened up to Loaded Magazine about the heartbreaking experience of witnessing his wife going on a vegetative state, conveying how euthanasia helped him see such an unfortunate incident in a new light: I was told she was brain-dead. So, when I saw her and saw all these tubes and stuff, I said these tubes have to go. She is gone. But donated three of her organs, so she is keeping three people alive now.

Is euthanasia a form of violence?

Logically, one cannot equate euthanasia with murder since euthanasia is not a violent felony. Murder, by definition, is death by violence at a time chosen by the murderer rather than Gods will. Contrastively, patients suffering from deteriorating neurological conditions or brain death are already biologically dead, so it is not a murder to speed up their protracted death!

Unlike murder, euthanasia doesnt take patients by surprise; doctors always take written consent from their patients when the patients are still conscious and mentally apt. Moreover, if the physician or the patients family fail to meet all substantive obligations, they will be legally penalized. For instance, in 2019, a Dutch doctor was tried before court due to the lack of communication with the patient and the absence of a confirmation of the patients wish to die.

According to the universal declaration of human rights, there is a universal consensus that all patients have a fundamental right to confidentiality as well as a prerogative to accept or refuse treatment. Law does not consider it a murder when a patient suffering from a heart disease or cancer refuses treatment although the treatment will sustain his/her life, so why not recognize euthanasia as well since it leads to the same ending?

Deciding how much one should remain in existence is a private matter in the first place. Human rights and political correctness dictate that a state doesnt have the right to interfere unless in issues detrimental to society. Therefore, governments should treat people as free agents who possess the prerogative of a legal end-of-life option, for such a choice inflicts no harm on others.

Patients who want to pull the plug have already tried to pull through many times. Such patients are racked with pain both physical and emotional. They yearn for passing onto the subsequent stage of lifes journey quietly, in the manner of their choice. Therefore, physicians need to understand that their role is to lessen suffering and not to coerce people into remaining alive.

A personal perspective

My family and I are still haunted by the long excruciating death of my uncle who passed away of a severe state of kidney failure.

As an Egyptian, the only way for my uncle to speed up his death was either to quit eating and drinking or to cease going to hospital. However, doing nothing waiting for days or maybe months is unbearable. The option of committing suicide, which might even fail, is also a disgraceful act for the patient who would be condemned as having lost his or her faith. It would also affect the family, who might be accused of criminal neglect.

One day, my uncles wife was helping him get to the bathroom. However, due to his poor health condition, he collapsed on the floor and told her that he wished he could obtain a pill and end his life. Had death with dignity been allowed in Egypt, it would have saved my uncle four years of misery and saved his family abundant poignant memories and utter financial ruin.

Middle Eastern states need to realize that patients who ask for a physician-assisted suicide merely want to be treated respectfully, for they can commit suicide by themselves. Such patients do not want to be remembered as sheer pessimists or agnostics, who lost zest for life for no sound reason. They merely wish for a dignified death and forgiveness.

Popular Opinions on Suicide in General

Although euthanasia and suicide are not the same, it is noteworthy to tackle peoples viewpoint on suicide in general. Suicide is a major sin in both Islam and Christianity. In Islam, Quran forbids people from committing suicide; And do not kill yourselves (or one another). Indeed, Allah is to you ever Merciful (Al-Baqara, 2: 29). Moreover, according to Sahih of Bukhari, Thabit Ibn Al-Dahak narrated that Prophet Mohamed said that Whosoever kills himself with anything in this world will be tortured with it on the Day of Judgment.

In a similar fashion, Christianity considers life a personal divine gift, which had to be safeguarded. The Churchs rejection of suicide was based on the Biblical verse I shall require your blood (Genesis 9:5).The Egyptian Coptic church denies Christians who commit suicide of a church funeral.

Even from a humanitarian perspective, suicide is viewed as a selfish act that wrings the hearts of ones beloveds. As famed actor Benedict Cumberbatch puts it in his renowned Sherlock TV series, your own death is something that happens to everyone else. Your life is not your own, keep your hands off it.

Euthanasia in Middle Eastern Laws

Unfortunately, euthanasia is still considered a taboo in Arab countries and is hampered by numerous legal consequences. Article 157 of Kuwaiti Penal Code states that a person is guilty of murder even if the victim suffered from a disease or an injury that would lead to death and the perpetrator shortened his life. Article 538 of Syrian Penal Code punishes with detention from three to ten years, whoever conducts Euthanasia. As for Egyptian law, no text is propounded regarding euthanasia.

In Lebanon, there is no law permitting euthanasia, and therefore carrying it out is considered a crime punishable by the perpetrator, his partner, the inciter, and whoever intervenes. Article 552 of the Lebanese Penal Code stipulates that Whoever intentionally kills a person by means of compassion shall be punished with imprisonment for ten years, based on the urgency of the request.

However, there is some light at the end of the tunnel; Article 18 of Kuwaiti Penal Code allows the court to refrain from issuing a verdict against euthanasia perpetuators in consideration of their morals and the circumstances in which they committed the crime. Article 96 of UAE Penal Code states that the motive of mercy for murder is a legal excuse that reduces the penalty.

Laconically, euthanasia might be a controversial topic that not all people agree on, yet revising our paradigm and the notions we espouse is something we all need to do.

*The opinions and ideas expressed in this article do not reflect the views of Egyptian Streets editorial team any other institution with which they are affiliated. To submit an opinion article, please email[emailprotected].

Why Should Euthanasia be Legally Permitted in the Middle East? - Egyptian Streets

Nation’s attitude to life and death – Southern Star Newspaper

Posted on October 8, 2020 by Danzig

When introducing proposed legislation, the term euthanasia was not used, but rather the hotch-potch expression dignity in dying

LAST week, the trendy buckos in Dil ireann, introduced a proposal for a free vote on a matter that could change profoundly the nations attitude to life and death. Euthanasia! It is a topic that has the potential to convulse Irish society in a fashion not seen since the abortion issue.

Currently the government has in the pipeline the hugely controversial Dignity in Dying Bill, whose purpose is (in effect) the legalisation of euthanasia and assisted suicide.

Up to this, nobody advocated putting euthanasia onto our statute books and then, suddenly from nowhere, it became a hot topic with the weird Green Party, Vlads Fine Gael and Mickeys Fianna Fil.

According to the HSE, euthanasia can be defined as the act of deliberately ending a life to relieve suffering and that a doctor who deliberately encourages a very sick patient to take a fatal overdose of medicine could be accused (in theory) of euthanasia.

In other words, euthanasia is the act of assisting or encouraging very ill people to kill themselves.

And heres the rub: our legislators already are toying with quasi-euthanasia legislation in their promotion of the so-called Dignity in Dying Bill, which has been described as making provision for assistance in achieving a dignified and peaceful end to life.

The choice of words is interesting. When introducing the proposed legislation, Vlad, Mickey and the Trendies did not use the term euthanasia but rather the hotch-potch expression dignity in dying which suggested style, seriousness and something worthy of consideration.

Contrary to ethics

In much of the civilised world, euthanasia is considered morally and legally unjustifiable, inherently wrong and contrary to the 2,500-year-old medical ethic of caring for patients. But, incredibly, in Paddys neck of the woods, that no longer seems to be the case.

A People before Profit enthusiast put forward the Bill advocating euthanasia and it was supported by Green Party windbags and elements within Fianna Fil and Fine Gael.

All were confident that a free vote on euthanasia would be allowed and that inter-party flexibility would prevail on the issue.

According to Greenie Eamon Ryan, a free vote is the best solution as this avoids dividing the House on party political grounds should matters of complex conscience (his terminology) arise in Dil ireann.

Vlad prudently agreed with the kicking to touch approach, declaring that he wanted an all-party Oireachtas Committee to look into the matter of suicide! So far, the Dil is metaphorically out as to defining what exactly constitutes assisted suicide.

Of course, the topic is not exactly a barrel of laughs, or votes! And, despite the best efforts of Fine Gael and the weirdo Greenies to invest the act of suicide / murder with parliamentary-style propriety and good taste, the fact of the matter is that euthanasia is nothing more than messily killing yourself as a way to avoid pain or suffering.

Legal or illegal?

Euthanasia may sound like a student exchange programme but, according to Google (which has the best definition), it is nothing more than the painless killing of a person suffering from an incurable and painful disease or in an irreversible coma.

Sensitive to the legal and other implications inherent in advocating suicide for terminally-ill people, it is not surprising that Vlad and his Justice Minister, Helen McEntee, want to kick the debate as far away from themselves as possible. Hence, the proposal to hand the topic over to the totally useless, so-called Citizens Assembly.

In the meantime, the position regarding euthanasia in this country is that it is either manslaughter or murder and, consequently, illegal under Irish law. Whats more, to encourage deliberately, or to assist another person to kill themselves (assisted suicide) can be punishable by life imprisonment.

And, interestingly, although assisted suicide is illegal, attempting to commit suicide unaided and without outside help is not an illegal act.

Euthanasia is legal only in Belgium, Holland and Luxemburg, although according to the HSE some types of assisted suicide and passive euthanasia are legal in Switzerland, Germany, Mexico and the American state of Oregon. Assisted suicide is not legal in Britain and those promoting it runs the risk of a 14-year prison sentence.

Assisted suicide is where encouragement and assistance is given to another person who commits, or attempts to commit suicide, such as in the case of purchasing powerful sedatives, knowing that the person with the terminal illness intends to take an overdose with the intention to kill themselves. Involvement in carrying out euthanasia can lead to a murder charge.

Assisted death

In the three European Union countries where euthanasia is legal, a person must make a voluntary request to end their life, have the mental capacity to make such a decision and must be suffering unbearably with no prospect of an improvement in their condition.

In the Netherlands in 2017, there were 6,585 cases of voluntary euthanasia or assisted suicide, mostly involving people with cancer.

In Britain some doctors argue that, in cases of terminal illness, individuals should be allowed the freedom to determine their own time in which to die, and that police should not prosecute those involved in an assisted death.

Crucially, there is no guarantee that helpers who take a family member to Switzerland for an assisted death will not be investigated by the police.

People with dementia

Almost in a throwback to Dr Mengele, there is concern among psychiatrists and doctors about the use of euthanasia for people with dementia. Two years ago, police investigations were opened into the euthanasia of psychiatric patients in the Netherlands after reports that pressure was put on people with disabilities to end their lives.

And then theres the possibility that those who promote euthanasia may not be familiar with the benefits of palliative care and how it can improve the quality of life when a patient is faced with a life threatening illness. Assisted dying isnt necessary when good clinical care can help eliminate pain.

Indeed, when politicos focus on euthanasia as a means of reducing suffering, they may well be sending the message that some lives are not worth living and that the sick and the elderly are little more than a financial burden on society.

In such circumstances, it isnt long before the right to die becomes a duty to die!

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Nation's attitude to life and death - Southern Star Newspaper

Catholic teaching on euthanasia and end-of-life care – Catholic Outlook

Posted on October 8, 2020 by Danzig

The Catholic Church espouses a consistentethic of lifethat requires the legal protection of all human life from conception to natural death. Thus Pope Francis wrote, in his 2018 Apostolic ExhortationGaudete et Exsultate (Rejoice and Be Glad),

The other harmful ideological error is found in those who find suspect the social engagement of others, seeing it as superficial, worldly, secular, materialist, communist or populist. Or they relativize it, as if there are other more important matters, or the only thing that counts is one particular ethical issue or cause that they themselves defend. Our defence of the innocent unborn, for example, needs to be clear, firm and passionate, for at stake is the dignity of a human life, which is always sacred and demands love for each person, regardless of his or her stage of development. Equally sacred, however, are the lives of the poor, those already born, the destitute, the abandoned and the underprivileged, the vulnerable infirm and elderly exposed to covert euthanasia, the victims of human trafficking, new forms of slavery, and every form of rejection. We cannot uphold an ideal of holiness that would ignore injustice in a world where some revel, spend with abandon and live only for the latest consumer goods, even as others look on from afar, living their entire lives in abject poverty.

(GE 101, emphasis added)

The Holy Father rejects the lopsided view found among some Catholics that in the political arena abortion is the only thing that counts. The lives of the unborn are sacred and should be protected by law, but this isequally trueof the poor and underprivileged, the elderly, and victims of human trafficking; in a word, anyone who is marginalized.In my previous postI discussed how this applies even to people guilty of grave crimes, who should never under any circumstances be put to execution. Today I would like to discuss euthanasia and assisted suicide.

On September 22 the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, with the specific approval of Pope Francis (meaning this is part of his ordinary Magisterium), published a letter spelling out the Churchs teachings and pastoral practices concerning euthanasia and assisted suicide. It is calledSamaritanus Bonus(SB)named for the Good Samaritan.

For its doctrinal basis, it draws heavily upon the 1980 CDF Declaration on Euthanasia, calledIura et Bona, as well as some allocutions given by Pius XII in the 1950s. Doctrinally, there is very little that is new in this document; the basic doctrine remains the same as it was 40 years ago. Over the years, some very specific elements regarding particular, difficult points have been elaborated, and this document tries to put everything into an overall, coherent framework. As such, it will be the touchstone for future Catholic discussion of this topic for decades to come.

Continue reading this article on Where Peter Is.

With thanks to Where Peter Is and Adam Rasmussen.

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Catholic teaching on euthanasia and end-of-life care - Catholic Outlook

Bishops write letter to Queenslanders stressing the sanctity of human life – Catholic Leader

Posted on October 8, 2020 by Danzig

Dignity: Nobody is morally compelled to suffer unbearable pain, nobody should feel like a burden, and nobody should feel that their life is worthless.

SIX of Queenslands Catholic bishops have written a pastoral letter warning of the consequences of legalising euthanasia.

The letter, to all Catholic Queenslanders and the wider community, stresses the sanctity of life and recognising that all of creation is sacred.

Societies in which life is cheap suffer from many maladies and injustices, the bishops said.

With Queensland gearing up for a state election on October 31, euthanasia in the form of voluntary assisted dying (VAD), is squarely on the political agenda and the bishops have announced this coming Sunday, October 11 as Dying Peacefully No Euthanasia Sunday.

VAD legislation may come before the next parliament whatever the outcome of the forthcoming election, the bishops statement said.

The Catholic Church is opposed to voluntary assisted dying. However, the Church strongly supports high-quality palliative care, respect for patient autonomy, preservation of personal dignity and a peaceful end to life.

Nobody is morally compelled to suffer unbearable pain, nobody should feel like a burden, and nobody should feel that their life is worthless.

VAD is already legal in Victoria and Western Australia and there is a powerful push to change the law in Queensland.

The state government has ordered the independent Queensland Law Reform Commission to prepare draft VAD legislation that is expected to be ready for the next parliament early next year.

People are afraid of losing their freedom, their dignity, their worth, as they face what they believe will be a terrible process of dying, Queenslands bishops said.

The Catholic Church maintains based on its theological and philosophical beliefs on the nature of human beings, and on the empirical evidence of high-quality specialist palliative care that none of these things need come true.

Freedom, dignity, worth, and minimal suffering can all be achieved.

Dying need not be horrifying.

This is not to glorify or minimise how challenging the process of dying is.

But it is a process that we as a society and as individuals must face in a way that respects and preserves those principles of freedom, dignity and the minimisation of harm that we all hold dear.

RELATED STORY: Queensland bishops urge action on COVID-led social and economic issues as state election looms

Bishops: The Catholic Church is opposed to voluntary assisted dying. However, the Church strongly supports high-quality palliative care, respect for patient autonomy, preservation of personal dignity and a peaceful end to life.

The bishops statement said many people struggled to see the societal implications of legalising intentional killing of another person, even in strictly limited circumstances.

Where the meaningfulness and purposefulness of life are held sacred from cradle to the grave, for the just and the wicked, for rich and for poor, in short, for all, a society can genuinely care for the common good, the bishops said.

Because in such a society there is always the opportunity for a change of heart, for a conversion of the mind, for love and mercy to shine through.

Pope Francis has encouraged Catholic people everywhere to resist euthanasia and to ensure that the elderly, the young and the vulnerable are not cast aside in what he has called a throw-away culture.

Instead, the Pope calls us as Catholics to follow Jesus Christ by accompanying people at the end of their life with all the skill of palliative medicine and all the compassion of the human heart, since true palliative care embraces the whole person, physically, emotionally, psychologically and spiritually.

As part of a care-first approach, the bishops flag a future training program within Catholic communities to help people better understand what choices are available and what pathways already exist to ensure a dignified and peaceful death.

The aim would be to train facilitators who can guide people to expert advice.

This is the type of care that Pope Francis envisions the Church being able to offer as an accompaniment to those coming to the end of their life, the bishops said.

Read more about Dying Peacefully No Euthanasia Sunday at: archbne.org/dtrl.

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Bishops write letter to Queenslanders stressing the sanctity of human life - Catholic Leader

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