Few days ago the GNU project announced the release of your free electronic payment system "GNU Taler 0.7". GNU Taler is a microtransaction and electronic payment software based on free software. The project is led by Florian Dold and Christian Grothoff of Taler Systems SA.
This electronic payment system is supported by the GNU Project, since GNU Taler complies with ethical considerations: the paying customer is anonymous as long as the merchant is identified and subject to tax.
That is to say the system does not allow tracking information about where the user spends money, but provides funds to track the receipt of funds (sender remains anonymous), whiche solves the problems associated with BitCoin with tax audits. The code is written in Python and distributed under the AGPLv3 and LGPLv3 licenses.
As such GNU Taler does not create its own cryptocurrency, but it works with existing currencies, including dollars, euros and bitcoins. Support for new currencies can be ensured by creating a bank to act as a financial guarantor.
About GNU Taler
The business model of GNU Taler is based on executing Forex trading: money from traditional payment systems such as BitCoin, Mastercard, SEPA, Visa, ACH and SWIFT are converted into anonymous electronic money in the same currency.
User can transfer electronic money to sellers, who can then exchange them at the exchange point for real money represented by traditional payment systems.
All transactions in GNU Taler are protected by cryptographic algorithms modern, which allow to maintain reliability even in case of leakage of private keys of clients, vendors and exchange points.
The database format provides the ability to verify all completed transactions and confirm their consistency. Payment confirmation for sellers is a cryptographic proof of transfer within the framework of a contract concluded with the client and a cryptographically signed confirmation of the availability of funds at the exchange point.
GNU Taler includes a set of building blocks that provide logic for the work of the bank, exchange point, trading floor, wallet, and auditor.
What's new in GNU Taler 0.7?
In this new version added support for Android is highlighted, with which it is possible to install a wallet on Android devices from the F-droid store (the application is currently not available to everyone in the Play Store, it can only be installed by some).
Of the other changes that stand out from this new version:
- Improved HTTP API for interacting with an exchange point (exchange).
- Fully tested key revocation and refund operations.
- The backend for Wire has been converted to a style compatible with LibEuFin
- Synchronization services defined and implemented (not yet integrated into the wallet).
- The project also announced that it received a grant from the NLnet Foundation for an independent audit of the cryptographic reliability and code quality of the exchange point.
If you want to know more about this new version and about the project you can consult the details In the following link.
How to get a GNU Taler wallet?
For those of you interested in getting a GNU Taler wallet, you can first try a demo of this system of payments to know a little more about its operation.
This can be done from the following link.
Now for those who want to get a wallet, they should know that possible from a web browser or mobile device with Android (as we mentioned in the news of this new version).
On the part of the browsers, currently only Chrome and Firefox (and browsers based on these) are those that have a plugin which can be installed from the following links.
Finally for those who want to install their wallet on Android can get the application from the following link