Privacy by Blockchain Design

Privacy by Blockchain Design conducts interdisciplinary research on privacy-enhancing and regulatory approaches in the context of emerging technologies.

"Our goal is to harmonize the language between Law and Tech in order to harness the transformative potential of the wisdom buried in regulation and find practical ways to make it accessible to everyone."

Christian Wirth & Michael Kolain


Privacy by Blockchain Design is a think tank that conducts research at the crossroads of Law, Compliance, and modern technologies like AI, Blockchain, and all the other fancy stuff. Feel free to reach out to us if you have any problems in this area that seem impossible to solve. We love those kinds of research questions.

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Anonymity Assessment – A Universal Tool for Measuring Anonymity of Data Sets under the GDPR with a Special Focus on Smart Robotics

Anonymity Assessment

An Innovative Product for Achieving Data Anonymity, Compliant with GDPR

In partnership with TechGDPR, we are proud to offer an innovative and practical solution for data anonymization challenges - the Anonymity Assessment tool. Born from rigorous academic research, this tool allows data controllers and processors to quantify and ensure the anonymity of their datasets, seamlessly aligning with the stringent requirements of the GDPR. The tool is a result of an interdisciplinary approach, effectively translating legal provisions into a systematic and thorough evaluation of data anonymization processes. It achieves compliance with data protection regulations, ensures effective risk mitigation against potential data breaches, and maintains the utility of anonymized data, all while adhering to the legal framework for data processing.

With this tool, organizations can comfortably navigate the complexities of data protection, particularly in the context of AI systems and smart robotics, where the GDPR's provisions can be challenging to implement. Our partnership with TechGDPR allows us to offer a comprehensive solution that combines academic rigor with practical applicability.

Learn more about our Anonymity Assessment tool and how it can benefit your organization

For those interested in the academic roots of this tool, you can find our original research paper on Anonymity Assessment in our Research section.


Blockchain Study about Blockchain by the European Parliament

The Study about "Can distributed ledgers be squared with European data protection law?" done by the European Parliament acknowledges our contributions to classify Blockchain as a case of Joint Controllership (Art. 26 GDPR), demanding and drafting a Blockchain-based system to monitor the data controller's compliance.

Journal of Banking and Financial Technology (Springer Verlag)

The Journal of Banking and Financial Technology (Springer Verlag) writes about our latest Paper: "Chrisitan Wirth et al., also showed [66] how blockchain design can be compatible with General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) act."

DSRI-Herbstakademie, „RECHT 4.0 – Innovationen aus den rechtswissenschaftlichen Laboren

Our Contributions regarding developments in the field of Multichain Architectures as well as the fusion between Tech and Law have been recognized in: Edgar Rose, 18. DSRI-Herbstakademie, "RECHT 4.0 - Innovationen aus den rechtswissenschaftlichen Laboren", Heidelberg, 6.-9.9.2017, in: Computer und Recht (CR) 2017, R124-R125.


DIN SPEC 4997 Privacy by Blockchain Design

A standardised model for processing personal data using blockchain technology

In collaboration with the German Institute for Standardization (DIN) our team developed the first worldwide standard of its kind on handling personal data using blockchain technology.

Scope of the DIN SPEC: This DIN SPEC establishes general principles for and methods of handling personal data in blockchain ecosystems. It specifies technical and organizational measures for data protection while taking into account the principle of "privacy by design" as well as specifications that are inspired by legal frameworks, such as GDPR. The document defines relevant terms for both technical as well as legal experts and establishes a methodological framework that helps to identify types of data (encrypted and not encrypted) as well as methods of data processing that lead to a positive or negative classification as "personal data" in blockchain scenarios. This DIN SPEC is aimed towards establishing a high level of privacy in blockchain ecosystems. This document is applicable to all IT systems using blockchain technology.

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DIN SPEC 4997 Privacy by Blockchain Design: A standardised model for processing personal data using blockchain technology