Is Digital Money Becoming a Surveillance Tool? [LIVE From AI Summit]
Wed Feb 04 2026
Chastity Murphy, former Senior Advisor at the U.S.Treasury and Visiting Research Fellow at the University of Manchester, shares her experiences working on digital money legislation, including the Stable Act. She reflects on the transition from cash to digital payments along with her current research developing offline, anonymous public interest payment systems.
Key Takeaways:
How early stablecoin legislation shaped our understanding of digital money, privacy, and consumer protection
The gap between technologists and policymakers in understanding digital money
Real-world risks of surveillance and data visibility in financial transactions
The potential for new cryptographic capabilities like selective disclosure and zero-knowledge proofs
Practical approaches for creating offline, anonymous, and interoperable digital payment systems that don't sacrifice usability
Guest Bio:
Chastity Murphy is a Visiting Research Fellow at the University of Manchester's Law & Technology Initiative, and one of the leading architects of privacy-preserving digital public money. A former Senior Advisor at the U.S. Treasury Department, she helped shape federal policy on central bank digital currency (CBDC) and digital payments, building on her earlier work as the first congressional staffer (under Rep. Rashida Tlaib) to draft stablecoin legislation.
Her current research at Manchester's Digital Public Money Infrastructure (DPMI) project explores how cryptography and shield-law protections can make digital money safe for people—not platforms. The work prototypes use cases such as anonymous public-interest payments and privacy-secure disbursement systems for reproductive-health providers, disaster aid, and humanitarian relief. This work focuses on ensuring that the right to transact safely endures across political climates, crises, medical emergencies, and everyday use.
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About this Show:
The Brave Technologist is here to shed light on the opportunities and challenges of emerging tech. To make it digestible, less scary, and more approachable for all!
Join us as we embark on a mission to demystify artificial intelligence, challenge the status quo, and empower everyday people to embrace the digital revolution. Whether you're a tech enthusiast, a curious mind, or an industry professional, this podcast invites you to join the conversation and explore the future of AI together.
The Brave Technologist Podcast is hosted by Luke Mulks, VP Business Operations at Brave Software—makers of the privacy-respecting Brave browser and Search engine, and now powering AI everywhere with the Brave Search API.
Music by: Ari Dvorin
Produced by: Sam Laliberte
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Chastity Murphy, former Senior Advisor at the U.S.Treasury and Visiting Research Fellow at the University of Manchester, shares her experiences working on digital money legislation, including the Stable Act. She reflects on the transition from cash to digital payments along with her current research developing offline, anonymous public interest payment systems. Key Takeaways: How early stablecoin legislation shaped our understanding of digital money, privacy, and consumer protection The gap between technologists and policymakers in understanding digital money Real-world risks of surveillance and data visibility in financial transactions The potential for new cryptographic capabilities like selective disclosure and zero-knowledge proofs Practical approaches for creating offline, anonymous, and interoperable digital payment systems that don't sacrifice usability Guest Bio: Chastity Murphy is a Visiting Research Fellow at the University of Manchester's Law & Technology Initiative, and one of the leading architects of privacy-preserving digital public money. A former Senior Advisor at the U.S. Treasury Department, she helped shape federal policy on central bank digital currency (CBDC) and digital payments, building on her earlier work as the first congressional staffer (under Rep. Rashida Tlaib) to draft stablecoin legislation. Her current research at Manchester's Digital Public Money Infrastructure (DPMI) project explores how cryptography and shield-law protections can make digital money safe for people—not platforms. The work prototypes use cases such as anonymous public-interest payments and privacy-secure disbursement systems for reproductive-health providers, disaster aid, and humanitarian relief. This work focuses on ensuring that the right to transact safely endures across political climates, crises, medical emergencies, and everyday use. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- About this Show: The Brave Technologist is here to shed light on the opportunities and challenges of emerging tech. To make it digestible, less scary, and more approachable for all! Join us as we embark on a mission to demystify artificial intelligence, challenge the status quo, and empower everyday people to embrace the digital revolution. Whether you're a tech enthusiast, a curious mind, or an industry professional, this podcast invites you to join the conversation and explore the future of AI together. The Brave Technologist Podcast is hosted by Luke Mulks, VP Business Operations at Brave Software—makers of the privacy-respecting Brave browser and Search engine, and now powering AI everywhere with the Brave Search API. Music by: Ari Dvorin Produced by: Sam Laliberte