If you have been living anywhere but in Antartica or under the rock for the past year (and surprisingly surviving,) then you most definitely have heard of blockchain technology at least once in your life. An innovation so great and bizarre, sometimes described as the next greatest invention after the internet, blockchain technology broke the web when it surfaced at the beginning of the year.
What is blockchain?
There are several definitions one can give to blockchain as a term. The most popular ones being the following:
a) Don and Alex Tapscott, authors of Blockchain Revolution, describe blockchain as, “an incorruptible digital ledger of economic transactions that can be programmed to record not just financial transactions, but virtually everything else.”
b) Steve Wilson of ZD Net described it as, “an algorithm and distributed data structure for managing electronic cash without a central administrator among people who know nothing about one another. Originally designed for the crypto-currency Bitcoin, the blockchain architecture was driven by a radical rejection of at (government-guaranteed) money and bank controlled payments.”
Complex to the very core, the only thing that comes out clearly from these definitions is that blockchain basically consists of digital ledger technology, which lets transactions be broken into individual ones. In simple words, blockchain is like your very own personal ledger which cannot be broken or looked into! You know like when you have a diary that keeps being read by other people? The creators of blockchain made this technology what it is today because it is protected by a unique distributed network.
What is the unique distributed network?
The creators of blockchain realised very early on that only having a strong sense of control was not enough to protect this new creation. They had to have backups (with backups for the backups) for when things go wrong, so that anonymity and information is not only protected, but secured as well.
Simply put, if you have digital money, you need a wallet. Unlike specific wallets like Paytm, blockchain technology is the publicly accessible digital wallet with unique individual identifiers. People who want to make transactions via blockchain need to send messages and in order to send these messages, the users need keys. To make sure no one else has access to these keys, the technology needs security, which comes in the form of cryptographic keys. These cryptographic keys are made by keygens, which use complex mathematical equations to ensure complete security. Thereby, through this process, blockchain is made extremely secure.
When I first heard the word blockchain, I did not really understand what it meant. There was so much ambiguity in the term for me that I had to do a lot of digging up and understanding! Hope this helped clear the air for you as well!
Stellantis has announced plans to introduce electric vehicles (EVs) from its Chinese joint venture partner Leapmotor in India, marking a key step in expanding its EV presence in one of the world’s fastest-growing automotive markets. The launch is expected to begin with assembly of completely knocked down (CKD) kits at Stellantis’ existing facility in Ranjangaon, Maharashtra, with potential for greater localization depending on market response.
Leapmotor International, a joint venture where Stellantis holds a 51% stake, has exclusive rights to export, sell, and manufacture Leapmotor EVs outside China. The initial India lineup will include the T03 compact hatchback, positioned to compete with the Tata Tiago EV, and the C10 midsize SUV, targeting rivals like the Hyundai Creta Electric and MG Windsor. Stellantis aims to introduce six Leapmotor EV models in India by 2027.
Leapmotor delivered nearly 300,000 vehicles globally in 2024, doubling its year-on-year sales. The brand is known for its in-house development of electric motors, AI chips, and advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS).
Shailesh Hazela, CEO and MD of Stellantis India, highlighted the company’s commitment to the Indian market and its focus on bringing premium, innovative EVs to upwardly mobile Indian consumers. While the exact launch timeline remains unconfirmed, Stellantis is targeting a debut by the end of 2025.
This move adds to the growing competition in India’s EV segment alongside brands like Vinfast and Tesla, as automakers race to capture market share in the country’s rapidly evolving electric mobility landscape.
CARS24, a leading online used-car marketplace, has acquired Team-BHP, India’s most trusted and active automotive forum, to deepen its connection with car enthusiasts and improve its technological capabilities. The acquisition will focus on strengthening Team-BHP’s product, technology, and AI features to deliver a better experience for its large community of automotive buyers and enthusiasts.
Team-BHP is renowned for detailed reviews and passionate discussions, making it a valuable platform for car buyers and sellers. By integrating Team-BHP’s expertise with CARS24’s marketplace, the combined platform aims to offer richer insights, improved market intelligence, and more personalized services to users exploring the used-car market.
This move follows earlier collaborations between the two companies, including a comprehensive report on India’s used car market trends in 2025, highlighting growing SUV demand and the dominance of pre-owned cars over new sales.
Overall, this acquisition positions CARS24 not just as a transaction platform but as a knowledge hub, combining community-driven insights with advanced technology to better serve India’s expanding used car market
Meta is developing its first true AR glasses, set to launch in 2027. Before the public release, employees will test the device starting in 2024. The company is also releasing new generations of Ray-Ban smart glasses in 2023 and 2025 with enhanced features like a “viewfinder” display.
Specifications and Features
The AR glasses are expected to feature OLED displays and Qualcomm Snapdragon chipsets, offering sophisticated AR and AI capabilities. They will enable users to interact with virtual objects and project high-quality holograms of avatars onto the real world.
Design and Competition
Meta aims for a sleek design, potentially building on its Ray-Ban partnerships. The AR glasses market is competitive, with Apple and Google also investing heavily. Meta seeks to make its AR glasses a game-changer by offering a unique user experience.
Future Plans
In addition to AR glasses, Meta is expanding its VR offerings with new headsets like the Quest 3 and exploring other wearable technologies. The company is focused on reducing costs to make the AR glasses more consumer-friendly by launch.