Comparative Analysis of China's e-CNY and European Digital Euro Highlights Privacy Concerns
A comparative legal analysis has been conducted on China's e-CNY and the European Digital Euro, focusing on the privacy paradox associated with central bank digital currencies (CBDCs). The analysis reveals that while both systems aim to improve cross-border payment efficiency, they adopt different legal frameworks regarding privacy. China's e-CNY employs a 'controllable anonymity' approach, where transaction anonymity is dependent on the size of the transaction. In contrast, the European Digital Euro is designed to operate within the EU's existing data protection regime, minimizing the European Central Bank's access to personal data. This structural difference highlights the varying priorities between the two regions in balancing privacy and security. 
