Dec 17, 20254 min readComparisons & MatricesIntermediate

Ergo vs CBDCs: Control vs Sovereignty

Central bank scripts vs self-custodied programmable money.

Ergo

CBDCs

sovereignty

self-custody

privacy

censorship resistance

monetary policy

programmable money

Infographic titled “Ergo vs CBDCs: Control vs Sovereignty”. On the left, a self-custody wallet with user-controlled keys for Ergo; on the right, a CBDC card held by a robot hand representing central bank accounts and surveillance. Below, four panels compare ownership & custody, privacy, censorship & programmability, and monetary policy between Ergo and CBDCs.

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About This Infographic

This infographic contrasts two radically different visions of digital money: Ergo as a self-custodied, programmable PoW currency versus central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) as centrally controlled account systems.

On the Ergo side, users hold their own keys in self-custody wallets, enjoy pseudonymous base-layer privacy and benefit from censorship resistance and fixed, predictable monetary rules.

On the CBDC side, balances sit in accounts at central banks or regulated intermediaries, offer full visibility to issuers and authorities, enable fine-grained control over transactions and are governed by politically driven monetary policy.

Ownership & Custody

Ergo: Self-custody wallets with user-controlled keys and direct ownership of funds.
CBDCs: Balances held in accounts at a central bank or regulated intermediaries.
Custody design determines who ultimately has the final say over your money—users or institutions.

Privacy, Censorship & Programmability

Ergo: Pseudonymous base layer with programmable privacy and strong censorship resistance.
CBDCs: Full visibility for issuers and authorities by design, plus programmable restrictions and the ability to block or freeze accounts.
Programmability on Ergo is aimed at user-defined logic; on CBDCs it primarily enhances issuer control.

Monetary Policy & Sovereignty

Ergo: Fixed emission schedule and predictable supply, aligned with sound-money and long-term planning.
CBDCs: Unlimited, politically driven supply and rules that can change with policy priorities.
Sovereign digital money requires both self-custody and rules that are not easily altered by short-term political incentives.

Key Points

Ergo uses self-custody wallets with user-controlled keys; CBDCs rely on accounts at central banks or regulated intermediaries.

Ergo offers a pseudonymous base layer with programmable privacy options; CBDCs are designed for full issuer and authority visibility.

Ergo is censorship resistant, with no central switch to freeze funds or block specific users.

CBDCs enable programmable restrictions, including targeted blocking, freezing and spending constraints.

Ergo follows a fixed emission schedule and predictable supply, aligning with sound-money principles.

CBDCs can be expanded, contracted or reprogrammed according to political and policy decisions.

The core difference is sovereignty: Ergo prioritizes user control and open participation; CBDCs prioritize state control and oversight.

How to Read This Infographic

01.

Start with the central visual: a self-custody Ergo wallet on the left versus a CBDC card tied to central-bank infrastructure on the right, illustrating user-controlled keys versus account-based control.

02.

Then read the four comparison panels—ownership & custody, privacy, censorship & programmability, and monetary policy—to see how each system behaves in practice.

03.

Use these sections to decide whether you value sovereign self-custody and predictable monetary rules or centralized convenience with deep issuer control.

Usage Guidelines

• You can use this infographic in presentations, blog posts, or educational materials
• Please keep the attribution link to ergoblockchain.org
• For custom branding or editable files, contact the Ergo community

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