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NewsBriefs

date, potentially expanding scrutiny beyond payments
into unrelated business activities like tax process-
ing. Chris Marchese, NetChoice's litigation director,
described the rule as a "power grab," warning that it
could lead to higher costs and reduced competition.

With a Republican-controlled Congress and President
Trump's deregulatory agenda, the lawsuit underscores
the likelihood that CFPB policies enacted under the
previous administration will face rollback efforts in
the coming years.

National DigiFoundry issues guide
on Web3-based info sharing

The National DigiFoundry Secure Information Shar-
ing Workgroup released its Industry Guide on Secure
Information Sharing Using Web3 Technologies, pro-
viding a comprehensive roadmap for using decentral-
ized digital infrastructure to improve security and
data privacy across industries like finance, healthcare,
and technology.

The guide introduces a framework integrating decen-
tralized identity management, key encryption, block-
chain-based messaging and secure storage solutions
with the goal of enabling efficient, encrypted data ex-
change. It aims to address persistent challenges in data
sovereignty, interoperability and scalability in infor-
mation-sharing networks.

Key applications highlighted in the guide include:
• Healthcare: Secure patient data exchange with
privacy-preserving identity management
• Finance: Blockchain-driven cross-border pay-
ments with lower costs and improved transpar-
ency
• Technology: End-to-end encrypted collaboration
tools for remote teams
• Social Media: User-controlled data management
on privacy-centric platforms

According to Benjamin Diggles, chair of the Digi-
Foundry Workgroup, the guide is not just about new
technology; it is a fundamental shift in how industries
handle secure communications. Kevin Jackson, pro-
gram lead for the DigiFoundry, emphasized that this
initiative aligns with broader Web3 innovation efforts,
including climate change response and digital finan-
cial services.

The National DigiFoundry, originally funded by the
National Science Foundation, now operates as a mem-
ber-funded decentralized autonomous organization
with support from IBM, Microsoft, the University of
Texas, and the U.S. Treasury Department. It urges in-
dustry leaders, developers and enterprises to adopt its
framework as a blueprint for Web3-driven security and
efficiency in digital communications.

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