Latest news with #P2P
CNET
13-06-2025
- CNET
Best VPN for Torrenting 2025: Keep Your Download Activity Private
Torrenting servers and features While most VPNs support torrenting, some VPNs restrict file-sharing activity to select servers, whereas others allow torrenting on any server. For instance, NordVPN and Proton VPN have designated P2P servers, while ExpressVPN and Surfshark allow you to torrent on any server. If torrenting activity is limited, make sure there's a comprehensive roster of P2P servers to pick from. A feature known as port forwarding can be advantageous for torrenting by allowing faster download and upload speeds or starting poorly seeded torrents (ones with few uploaders). Think about making a call with a restricted number. You can place calls, but if nobody picks up and you can't leave a message, then you probably won't get a call back. But if your phone number is publicly available, the combination of incoming and outgoing calls boosts the chance of having a conversation. Without port forwarding, your torrent app searches for sources to download a file from, and if it's a healthy torrent file with lots of uploaders, you shouldn't have any issues. But if you're downloading a file with few seeders, your torrent client bears the full responsibility of finding a connection. Port forwarding leaves a port open, so uploaders can find you, not just the other way around. And the two-way traffic may help, particularly with older or obscure torrents lacking seeders. However, leaving ports open can also be a minor security risk, so many VPN providers don't support it. Proton VPN offers port forwarding, and the service claims that its implementation has addressed some security vulnerabilities. In my experience, downloads and uploads -- even of poorly seeded torrents -- worked just fine with VPNs that lacked port forwarding, so you may not need it. VPN torrenting speeds compared VPN Torrent Time to complete download File size Mullvad Batocera Linux Steam Deck 2 minutes and 34 seconds 3.29GB Mullvad Ubuntu 25.04 ISO 3 minutes and 32 seconds 5.84GB NordVPN Batocera Linux Steam Deck 5 minutes and 25 seconds 3.29GB NordVPN Ubuntu 25.04 ISO 5 minutes and 52 seconds 5.84GB PIA Batocera Linux Steam Deck 6 minutes and 34 seconds 3.29GB ExpressVPN Batocera Linux Steam Deck 6 minutes and 43 seconds 3.29GB Surfshark Ubuntu 25.04 ISO 9 minutes and 43 seconds 5.84GB ExpressVPN Ubuntu 25.04 ISO 10 minutes and 24 seconds 5.84GB PIA Ubuntu 25.04 ISO 10 minutes and 43 seconds 5.84GB Proton VPN Batocera Linux Steam Deck 13 minutes and 5 seconds 3.29GB Surfshark Batocera Linux Steam Deck 17 minutes and 23 seconds 3.29GB Proton VPN Ubuntu 25.04 ISO 19 minutes and 43 seconds 5.84GB Internet speed loss All VPNs slow down your internet speeds by nature of encrypting your connection, but the fastest VPNs only drop your base download speed by an average of 25% or less. For torrenting, you'll want the quickest possible download and upload speeds. NordVPN, Proton VPN, ExpressVPN, Surfshark and Mullvad all delivered sub-25% internet download speed loss in our 2025 testing. You shouldn't notice much impact from a fast VPN, especially on a reliable, high-bandwidth connection of 50Mbps or more, like cable or fiber. Server network When analyzing a VPN's server roster, think about the overall number of server locations and the country count. ExpressVPN, NordVPN, Proton VPN and Surfshark offer thousands of servers peppering 100-plus countries. You'll want a generous global server lineup for frequent international travel and worldwide streaming content unblocking. But it's essential to make sure your VPN has a server presence in your home country and the nations you regularly travel to, so check the available cities and countries. For torrenting specifically, you'll want to verify if a VPN company supports P2P traffic on all servers or just select servers. Some VPNs, like ExpressVPN and Surfshark, let you torrent on any server. Others, including NordVPN and Proton VPN, have designated P2P servers. Privacy Privacy is paramount when torrenting, so look for a provider with a choice of VPN protocols, including WireGuard (or equivalents and derivatives) for faster download speeds and OpenVPN for obfuscation (which tries to hide the fact that you're using a VPN). Some VPN companies offer proprietary obfuscation-focused VPN protocols, like NordVPN's NordWhisper and Proton VPN's Stealth. Likewise, you'll want modern encryption: AES 256-bit with OpenVPN or ChaCha20 over WireGuard. Because you'll want to keep your torrenting activities hidden at all times, make sure your VPN app has a kill switch, which cuts off your internet in case your VPN unexpectedly disconnects. That way, if your torrent client is running and your VPN stops working, your internet connection is shut off to prevent your ISP from discovering your file-sharing activity. Split tunneling lets you route some apps and websites but not others through a VPN, and it's a useful privacy feature, particularly for torrenting. I often use split tunneling to send just my BitTorrent traffic through a VPN connection to mask my downloading while installing games in Steam or streaming Netflix outside of a VPN for faster internet speeds. RAM-only servers can provide peace of mind when torrenting, because theoretically, no data from your VPN session is saved to a hard drive. However, a traditional hard drive-based server infrastructure with full-disk encryption can deliver equally as reassuring security benefits. While they don't paint a full privacy picture, third-party audits and transparency reports can be helpful trust signals. If you've got serious torrenting privacy concerns, think about the country a VPN service is based in. VPN companies headquartered in jurisdictions outside of the Five, Nine and 14 Eyes intelligence-sharing alliances may not share information with other nations. Device support Think about the devices you want to torrent on. Most VPNs are compatible with Windows, MacOS and Linux, so you can easily use a VPN on your laptop or desktop. Our top VPN picks -- ExpressVPN, NordVPN, Surfshark, Proton VPN and Mullvad -- all have Linux GUI apps, which are intuitive for beginners. Additionally, consider your other devices, like phones, tablets, streaming devices and smart TVs. Most VPNs work on Android, iOS/iPadOS, Android TV, Amazon Fire TV and Apple TV. If you need to use a VPN with a device that doesn't natively support VPN apps, like the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S/X or a Roku device, you can run a VPN on a router or use a PC as a VPN hotspot. Streaming service unblocking While you can freely and legally torrent many public domain movies, like Plan 9 From Outer Space, many films and TV series aren't available to download. But you can use a VPN to unblock region-restricted content on streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Max, BBC iPlayer and CBC. Accordingly, if you're traveling, you can binge-watch Bridgerton on Netflix or Cross on Prime Video. You may even be able to save money on streaming service subscriptions by leveraging a VPN. Price Most VPNs cost anywhere from $5 to $13 per month. Typically, you'll save money with a longer subscription term, paying between $20 and $100 for the first year. While two-plus year plans often provide the most savings, running anywhere from $30 to $140 for the two or more years, we don't recommend shelling out for more than one year at a time. Your initially fast, private VPN could suffer a data breach or slower speeds during the course of a year. We suggest sticking with an annual plan for the most significant savings with the least risk. Many VPNs hit you with price hikes after your initial subscription, so we suggest paying attention at sign-up and avoiding a costly renewal. Thankfully, you can often bypass an expensive autorenewal by stacking subscriptions or by canceling your plan and resubscribing.
Coin Geek
02-06-2025
- Business
- Coin Geek
Stephan February untangles Overnode, P2P networks
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... On the latest episode of the CoinGeek Weekly Livestream, Stephan February, architect of Overnode, joined Kurt Wuckert Jr. to tell him about his latest project. This episode was an insightful deep dive into peer-to-peer (P2P) networks, the use cases for micropayments, and more. title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen=""> Who is Stephan February and what is Overnode? February has been on the CoinGeek Weekly Livestream before. He's a coder and dedicated BSV builder who has developed software, token protocols, and much more. 'Overnode is not a wallet, but it has a wallet built into it,' February explained. It's a native mobile app that joins two networks; its own peer-to-peer mobile network and the Bitcoin network itself. Overnode has its own P2P network, so it can do Simplified Payment Verification (SPV) and exchange arbitrary data separate from the Bitcoin network, February noted. What is the practical use of Overnode? February explained that Overnode was born out of an obsession with computing and P2P networks in general. He doesn't want to have a backend for it; unlike other apps, there's no server to coordinate user activity. This will be local-first for data and will not have such a server. February wants Overnode to be as useful as Twitter, Slack, and Telegram. He envisions micropayment-incentivized rules in Spaces, such as someone being able to pay .1 BSV to grab the mic and shut everyone else up for a minute in a Space. He also sees how micropayments could be useful for invite-only Spaces, paying hosts, banning specific identities, and so on. Unlike in Bitcoin, where P2P means person-to-person, in Overnode, it means peer-to-peer networks. Overnode is a P2P gossip network resembling a mesh; once he properly grasped it, he saw how all sorts of use cases are possible. What are the incentives to run and secure Overnode? Looking back to torrent networks, February explained how there are seeders and leeches. The latter contributes nothing to the network, and he has a few choice words for them. These networks relied on altruism, but that's not necessary now that we have micropayments. With them, we can financially incentivize hosting, connecting, sharing, etc; you can get paid for people moving, storing, and sharing data in the network. Having this network of incentivized operators that assist in the liveness of data further opens up the potential for what is possible, all without the need for an expensive backend server. Wuckert noted that Satoshi Nakamoto preferred true peer-to-peer transactions, with IP addresses being the original way. Paying public keys was seen as an OK compromise if the user was offline. He thinks Overnode could bring back many of those original ideas; it's somewhat cypherpunk in that sense. February said he wanted to go back and re-examine some of the assumptions from the cypherpunks in the early 2000s. As he builds out Overnode, he realizes he is architecting systems of serverless interaction, and he can see the beginnings of a circular data economy which can evolve. For example, he can curate information and charge a fee for access. How will you get past Overnode becoming a tool for grey and black markets? February said he only cares to the extent that he doesn't want it to be used to harm people. However, he is also trying to build the application in such a way that harm reduction incentives are implemented at the edge without infringing upon the liberty of individuals. There will be tools to allow individuals to distance themselves from this 'dark' activity. As with the Internet, there are ways to distance yourself from it. For example, there could be curated, verified marketplaces that are known as safe. What is the problem that Overnode solves? February isn't sure this is a problem for most people, but it is for him. He doesn't like how the Internet has evolved over time, and he doesn't like how human interactions are brokered by web browsers and social media platforms. He's always been interested in what the world would look like if we had Bitcoin in the heyday of P2P networks in the late 90s and early 2000s. While the platform model is great for many things, coordinating human activity is one. But there are downsides, and he wants to enable peer-to-peer interactions with true data privacy. Essentially, it's his contribution to trying to solve the platform dystopia we find ourselves in. To hear more about criticisms of Overnode, what adoption might look like, why tokens aren't products, and more, check out the livestream episode here. Watch: Peer-to-peer electronic cash system—that's micropayments title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen="">
Zawya
29-05-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Egypt approves $388m in private renewable energy projects for direct industrial supply
Egypt's Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy, Mahmoud Esmat, has awarded qualification certificates to four companies selected to operate under the country's newly adopted private-to-private (P2P) power agreement model. The initiative allows private energy producers to generate and sell electricity directly to industrial consumers, marking a transformative step in Egypt's energy liberalization strategy and commitment to sustainable development. The approved projects represent a combined capacity of 400 megawatts and total investments of $388m. Each company will build its own renewable energy power plant and supply electricity directly to industrial clients, while paying a transmission fee to the Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company (EETC). These agreements are structured with no financial burden on the state and do not require sovereign guarantees. Among the newly qualified projects, Neptune for Electricity Production and Sales will supply solar power to the Suez Steel Plant. AMEA Power will provide electricity from its solar facility to the Suez Canal Container Terminal and Bivar Group for Chemicals. TAQA PV is set to supply Ezz Steel through a hybrid solar and wind power station, while ENARA for Renewable Energy Services will generate electricity from a hybrid facility for both the Helwan Fertilizers plant and the Alamein Silicon Products Complex. Minister Esmat stated that the initiative is being implemented in line with Egypt's Electricity Law, which is designed to open the market to competition, enhance efficiency, and attract private investment. He emphasized that liberalizing the electricity sector is a key strategic step in building a dynamic, competitive energy market that reduces costs, improves service quality, and strengthens Egypt's role as a regional energy hub. The Minister highlighted that the P2P framework enables industrial consumers to secure reliable, renewable electricity while contributing to their climate goals. These projects will also allow companies to certify their clean energy usage and reduce emissions, facilitating access to green export markets. Esmat noted that the Egyptian Electric Utility and Consumer Protection Regulatory Agency had completed its review of qualification submissions from seven companies, each proposing 100-megawatt renewable energy projects. The evaluation process was conducted in collaboration with a global consulting firm and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), which helped develop the regulatory guidelines and legal framework for the P2P agreements. He reaffirmed the Ministry's commitment to building a transparent and investor-friendly environment that enables both producers and consumers to actively participate in Egypt's energy transition. These efforts are integral to supporting the national green economy agenda, expanding renewable energy capacity, and modernizing the country's power infrastructure. © 2024 Daily News Egypt. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
Crypto Insight
23-05-2025
- Business
- Crypto Insight
P2P lending platform comes out of stealth after two years of development
Skew, a Switzerland-regulated peer-to-peer lending platform with a debit card, provides crypto users access to the lending market while enjoying traditional services. While decentralized finance (DeFi) has made significant strides in recent years, the global lending market remains mainly in the hands of traditional institutions. Banks and centralized platforms continue to act as gatekeepers, sidelining smaller borrowers and individual investors. Peer-to-peer (P2P) lending presents an alternative by removing intermediaries and enabling direct capital exchange. Despite carrying a huge potential, factors such as regulatory uncertainty, low consumer trust and the technical complexity of many crypto platforms have hindered its mass adoption. With a current P2P market size of approximately $250 billion and with estimates of $1 trillion by 2032, the P2P platform dynamic is shifting. Much like Uber reimagined transport and Airbnb reshaped accommodation, a new generation of platforms is rethinking P2P finance, merging blockchain's transparency and automation with interfaces designed for everyday users. One such platform is Skew, a registered Switzerland-based peer-to-peer crowdlending platform. Skew directly connects lenders and accredited borrowers using either fiat or digital currencies, making lending simpler and more accessible while also eliminating unnecessary intermediaries. By removing middlemen, lenders achieve higher returns, borrowers enjoy better access to capital, and both sides benefit from greater overall value. Rebuilding finance around users Skew users bypass centralized lenders by connecting directly with others to negotiate terms in a P2P environment. Borrowers select their preferred assets or post crypto as collateral, while lenders have the flexibility to fund loans using fiat or digital assets, supporting both crypto-native and traditional participants. This gives accredited professional traders, crypto miners and other alternative businesses another way to leverage their existing capital, unavailable in traditional banking. One of the platform's core distinctions lies in how it handles risk for borrowers who want to use crypto as collateral. Unlike many lending protocols that automatically liquidate collateral when prices dip, Skew offers up to 100% loan-to-value without forced liquidations, as long as borrowers stay current on repayments. In practice, this approach provides users with greater control, even in volatile markets. SKW tokens are strictly utility-based and used exclusively for lender membership tier benefits and borrower loan origination fees. Lenders gain entry through a one-time membership tier activation secured by SKW tokens. Higher tiers give higher access and perks. Borrowers use SKW to pay loan origination fees. Unlike tokens used for staking, rewards, yield farming, speculative incentives, or emissions, SKW serves purely as an access mechanism. Also, membership isn't a sunk cost — after a locking period, tokens are unlocked and can be freely traded on the open market. Beyond lending, the platform integrates a real-world spending feature. Users who opt for the Skew debit card earn up to 8% in Skew Points on everyday purchases, which can be redeemed for gift cards from participating retailers. It's a straightforward reward system, built to deliver tangible value from day-to-day spending without the need to navigate complex liquidity pools or track volatile APYs. Just as important as the tools are the people using them, which is why Skew strongly emphasizes community. Borrowers, lenders and the founding team regularly engage in open, fully staffed Telegram channels, answering questions and exchanging ideas in real time. This level of user interaction is uncommon in financial services and helps foster transparency and trust. As a platform designed for everyday users, it supports both fiat and digital assets. The interface is modeled on familiar online banking and financial apps, making it easy for newcomers to use while still meeting the needs of more experienced users. Making decentralized lending practical and compliant Skew's journey began three years ago with a simple premise: finance should connect people directly. From there, the team focused on clearing Swiss compliance standards, securing licenses and laying the legal groundwork required to operate responsibly. After more than two years of development, Skew officially launched in May 2025. To mark the occasion, Skew announced a $100,000 giveaway for its first 1,000 members. Skew aims to serve both crypto-native users and those familiar with conventional banking. As CEO Daniele Capasso explains: 'Traditional companies — especially in real estate — have already approached us looking for an alternative to banks. They see the value in faster access to capital and better rates. And by using Skew, they also help bring crypto into real-world use. It's a win-win.' The CEO's philosophy is reflected in the platform's structure: simple account setup, live community chats and use cases that mirror familiar financial behaviors — like earning through spending or borrowing against existing assets. Rather than rushing to scale, the team focuses on adding features gradually, only when thoroughly tested and ready to support long-term growth. Skew is building something most DeFi platforms have ignored: a product people outside of crypto can actually use. With features like a debit card and a familiar user interface, Skew aims to make decentralized finance practical, compliant and usable for a broader audience beyond crypto natives. Source:
The Citizen
22-05-2025
- General
- The Citizen
Pruning 2 Perfection hosts event to empower teen moms
The Pruning 2 Perfection Foundation (P2PF) held a Mother's Day celebration seminar at Albermale, with the theme Teen Mom Arise on May 11. The programme's goals were to support, empower, and promote the well-being of young girls and mothers. The audience could share their personal stories. Florence Wanjiru, the founder of the P2P foundation, said every Mother's Day celebration emphasises elderly or mature women. ALSO READ: City hosts seminar to address the increase in teenage pregnancy 'We held this seminar to sit down with young and adolescent/teen mothers and learn about their experiences. 'As a society, we have normalised that a mother can support, care for, and give independently. This is not possible for the younger woman, especially the teen mom. 'We wanted to teach the young people in the audience to navigate their lives, as well as celebrate their resilience and courage to hold things together. 'Because they often have no source of support to give, we rarely recognise their strength and power. 'To us, they have nothing to offer. It all stems from: how can a child raise a child? This factor prevents them from being regarded as mothers. As P2PF, we want to see a shift to this narrative. ALSO READ: SME seminar highlights need to connect and engage 'Accountability begins with the acknowledgement of something. They gave birth, so they are qualified to take on the role of motherhood. 'The programme aims to empower teen moms as a driving force in reducing teenage pregnancy. 'We had teen parents share their experiences, which should shed light on the difficulty of parenting as a young mother. You do not want your peer to choose the same way,' said Wanjiru. She stated they had to address stereotypes and discrimination because there are multiple factors contributing to teen pregnancy. 'As a culture, we see only one category of promiscuous girls. Where is the father? Some of these pregnancies are the consequence of sexual abuse. 'This demonstrates how a teen mother has to bear the burden alone. 'We have to create a comfortable environment that educates and breaks down cultural boundaries by having conversations with our children so that they may develop self-awareness,' said Wanjiru. Wanjiru said young people should focus on what is most important. ALSO READ: St Andrew's School learner gains insight into tech and more at seminar Relationships come and go. Sexual practices bring with them diseases including STIs, HIV/AIDS, and unwanted pregnancies, but education is impactful.' 'It changes circumstances for the better. If you are a young person, build your legacy through education. 'Teen Moms who shared their stories came in by word of mouth. 'They had children while in high school and were fortunate to receive support from home, which gave them the courage to change their situation by returning to school, finishing matric and pursuing further careers. 'This might not be the case with others. One challenge in the education system is the rate of dropouts because of teenage pregnancy,' said Wanjiru. 'Some challenges of teen mothers are social stigma and discrimination from families, peers and the community. 'The lack of home support makes the already complex balance of school and parenting worse for them. 'These teens do not have the knowledge and skills for parenting. By addressing these issues, we need to focus on a holistic, multi-sectoral approach, involving families, communities, schools and the health system to develop supportive educational programmes specifically for this target group. ALSO READ: Enter for Ekurhuleni Network Seminar 'In the worldview, abstinence is not a reality. And this implication has silenced the Christian community. That is why in the government policies, we have abstinence and safe sex concurrently. 'As an organisation, we also understand the dilemma of such interventions, but we do not want to rule out the possibility of young people who want to take a stand becoming the ambassadors of abstinence. That choice should be embraced and nurtured.'This event was an eye-opener to the gap in our society for nurturing and empowering teen mothers. We hope to engage with families, communities, and stakeholders to broaden the scope of reaching out to more teen moms,' said Wanjiru. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
