India's new SMS scrubber breaks OTP services and causes disruption to digital payment apps Source: Pexels Unlike most of the world, India still relies heavily on One Time Passwords (OTPs) to authenticate online transactions, sign in to website and pay bills. While this system provides an additional security layer, it also relies on several different network operators and SMS. Yesterday, it all came to a halt as India implemented a new SMS verification system. The new system is based on Blockchain's Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) and it forces telemarketers to register themselves beforehand. The telemarketers can then use pre-approved templates to compose marketing messages. These messages are then scrubbed by telecom operators and delivered to users who have given their consent to receive marketing messages. The new system was developed to reduce spam messages that are delivered to users around the country.