I am Rinat Mirzaitov, a former open data specialist who worked on projects aimed at improving public sector transparency by publishing information in anonymised formats. The purpose of that work was simple, to make government institutions more accountable while ensuring that no personal identity could ever be traced back through the data. Through this experience, I came to understand how essential high quality data is for a modern democracy and how real time access to information can empower journalists, researchers and policymakers.
My professional background is in software engineering, and I have spent more than a decade working with crypto and blockchain technologies. Combined with my experience in open data and transparency initiatives, this gives me a particular perspective on the Digital Euro debate. I have seen many articles portraying the digital euro as a threat, but I want to explain to the ECB and to the people of Europe how a carefully implemented system could instead improve democratic effectiveness and economic productivity.
If the digital euro is developed with strong privacy principles, everyone who uses the currency could benefit from it. Aggregated, anonymised data from digital euro transactions could help public institutions better understand economic conditions across regions and demographics. For example, it could highlight what households are able to afford, where they are struggling, and how consumption patterns shift over time. Such insights would not identify individuals, but they could support more responsive and targeted policy decisions.
Consider a simple example. If last month you bought bread and butter, and this month you only bought bread, anonymised digital euro data could reflect that change. The question is not whether the government sees your specific purchase, but whether society benefits when policymakers have early indicators of economic stress. Should citizens view this as a risk, or as a way to encourage both individuals and institutions to be more aware of real economic challenges?
If the ECB incorporates design principles similar to those used in public blockchain systems, the digital euro could deliver transparency, efficiency and fairness within public financial infrastructure. The key ingredient in all of this is data, and it is worth remembering that we already share enormous amounts of data with private companies every day. Apple, Google, Meta, Uber and many others track transactions, locations, messages and behavioural patterns, largely for commercial profit.
So it is worth asking a simple question. Who should oversee the digital infrastructure that underpins everyday economic life, a private company that uses data to maximise profit, or a public institution that is accountable to elected governments and bound by democratic rules? A digital euro designed with privacy, transparency and strong governance could shift the balance back toward the public interest.