Niels' Letter

Stop playing catch up with the US, Europe!

Europe keeps trying to out-build the frontier. The leverage sits one layer down: verifying what the technology does, through the technology itself.

Jul 14 • Niels V. van den Bergh

4

There is no free market online

Every market runs on rules someone enforces. The internet is a place that has no rules, and AI is about to make that a problem.

Jul 7 • Niels V. van den Bergh

4

June 2026

Sovereignty vs Digital Independence

Real sovereignty isn't where your server sits. It's whether you can take your data and walk away.

Jun 30

6

1

February 2026

Doing Dishes with a Kingpin

What happens when you accidentally host a top criminal with your Airbnb startup.

Feb 11 • Niels V. van den Bergh

3

2

Why anonymity is our biggest enemy online

The ability to trace our actions online back to us as individuals will shape our behaviour.

Feb 4 • Niels V. van den Bergh

2

1

January 2026

Digital Sovereignty: How To Own Your Data

Why data companies had no alternative to trading data, how micropayments could change everything, and what happens when users become data controllers.

Jan 22 • Niels V. van den Bergh

4

2

Your Compliance Data Shouldn't Live in Someone Else's Database

The EU mandated Digital Product Passports. There's just one problem: current solutions are not built for multi-company data collaborations.

Jan 7 • Niels V. van den Bergh

5

1

December 2025

Prove your identity without sharing your passport

What if you could verify identity without ever seeing a passport or ID?

Dec 12, 2025 • Niels V. van den Bergh

5