Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino has unveiled PearPass, an entirely local, open-source password manager built to function without cloud infrastructure.
The announcement, made on X, comes in response to growing alarm over centralized data vulnerabilities. “The cloud has failed us. Again,” Ardoino declared, referencing a massive data breach that recently exposed 16 billion login credentials and highlighting the urgent need for more secure, decentralized tools.
PearPass aims to rebuild trust in digital privacy by storing all user credentials locally on individual devices. By eliminating the need for centralized or cloud-based storage, it significantly reduces potential points of failure and the risk of mass surveillance.
“Just you — and your keys, stored securely on your devices,”
Ardoino emphasized, underscoring the product’s core philosophy of personal data sovereignty.
IMG TXT: Tether CEO announces server-free password manager. Source: Paolo Ardoino
The announcement follows what is being described as the largest confirmed data breach to date. According to a Cybernews investigation, 16 billion compromised records have surfaced across numerous massive datasets linked to infostealer malware. The leaked data reportedly includes login information for nearly all major online platforms, including Apple, Facebook, Google, GitHub, Telegram, and multiple government services.
The breach is concerning because it involves sensitive and confidential data, including fresh credentials like authentication tokens, browser cookies, and user metadata. The stolen records, which pair URLs with usernames and passwords, suggest that the information was likely obtained directly from infected machines, aligning with the tactics of modern infostealers.
Security researchers have described the leak as a potential roadmap for large-scale cyber exploitation.
“This is not just a leak – it’s a blueprint for mass exploitation,”
they said. With billions of credentials now in circulation, the threat of identity theft, account takeovers, and targeted phishing attacks has escalated dramatically.
Further compounding concerns, a Russian-affiliated hacking group known as Dark Storm has claimed responsibility for a separate major cyberattack that disrupted the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) on March 10. The attack temporarily knocked the platform offline for thousands of users before services were quickly restored.
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