Using a simple format and plain language, the Banco de España Blog seeks to make our work more accessible to the general public. It allows us to share our analysis of economic and financial issues and the ins and outs of the Banco de España’s tasks and activities with all those keen to learn more.
The Blog series group together posts covering certain similar topics. Further down is a general listing of all Blog posts, with a search function to help readers find the posts they are interested in.
27/04/2026
In critical situations, when the alternatives stop working, cash becomes even more valuable and helps us carry on. Coins and banknotes have proved their worth as an independent, widely accepted and reliable means of payment that enables us to continue making our daily purchases even in extreme circumstances like last year’s blackout.
10 results found with the selected filters
08/04/2026
Crypto-assets: from hype to regulatory reality Series: Innovation and technology
Is crypto just a technological playground or the future of financial assets? How is the digital euro different from a stablecoin? And why did Facebook try to create its own currency? We’ll explain what crypto-assets are and, with María Molero, Lucas García and Diego Hernández, explore what they can offer investors, what they mean for the financial markets and how their regulation has been designed.
Innovation and R&D
25/03/2026
When data speak: from evidence to decision-making Series: Innovation and technology
Can the data generated by a society help its institutions make better decisions? In this episode of CIENxCIEN, Sergio Padilla, the Banco de España’s Chief Data Officer, explains how good data governance helps all kinds of organisations to structure, connect and showcase the information they generate and receive.
Innovation and R&D
12/11/2025
You don’t install cybersecurity, you train it Series: Innovation and technology
AI developments make it increasingly difficult to distinguish between what’s real and what’s fake. A deepfake, for instance, can be used to impersonate your boss asking you to make a transfer during a video call. Do you think you would notice? In this new episode, we chat with Banco de España experts about the different ways in which the public’s and firms’ cybersecurity can be at risk and about what measures can be taken to protect against digital attacks.
Innovation and R&D
13/10/2025
The 2025 Nobel Prize in Economics: how technological innovation drives economic growth
The 2025 Nobel Prize in Economics has been awarded to Professors Mokyr, Aghion and Howitt. Their analysis explains why economic growth only took off after the industrial revolution. The resulting social and economic environment prompted a cascade of innovations and speeded up growth. A timely award just when that environment seems to be changing.
21/05/2025
Just how smart is AI? Series: Innovation and technology
Artificial intelligence is no longer a thing of science fiction novels and films, but part of our everyday lives. From improving medical diagnosis to summarising drawn-out meetings, AI has myriad applications and is perhaps the most rapidly evolving and far-reaching tool in the history of humankind.
Grab your headphones and join us to find out how AI it works and if it really is that smart.
Innovation and R&D
12/05/2025
Traditional, but indispensable and cutting-edge. How much tech is packed into a banknote?
Cash is still essential in the digital age. Banknotes – from their design to production – incorporate the latest technology to be more secure, durable and sustainable. They are high-tech industrial products that are constantly being enhanced. At the Banco de España, we help design the banknotes of the future.
29/10/2024
Sandbox: the testing environment for financial innovation
To help the financial sector go digital, regulators have set up testing environments or sandboxes for innovative technological solutions. A sandbox allows supervisors and project promoters to work together in a controlled setting, where both can learn and gain significant benefits.
21/03/2024
Bizum and the success of instant credit transfers in Spain
The digitalisation of the economy has transformed how we communicate, consume and pay, increasing demand for instant payment services that are available 24/7. With instant credit transfers accounting for over 50% of all transactions processed, Spain is spearheading the global surge in the use of this payment method.
03/11/2023
Innovation and R&D
02/10/2023
Innovation and R&D
