Getting ready to operate GNU Taler in Germany(taler.net)
360 points by dewey 3 days ago | 175 comments
tl;dr: Taler Operations AG is being founded in Bochum to operate the GNU Taler payment system in Euros, after GLS Bank withdrew from its originally planned role as e-money issuer in January 2026. The new company, a subsidiary of Taler Systems SA, will apply to German regulator BaFin for an e-money license and is raising capital from investors (minimum €50,000) to fund the launch. GNU Taler itself remains free software; only the operating service is licensed.
HN Discussion:
  • ~Taler is technically superior but will lose to Digital Euro or established competitors like Wero
  • ↑Europe needs sovereign payment solutions and Taler is a welcome effort to support
  • ↓Privacy claims are illusory and will be undermined by KYC regulation at key junctions
  • ↓The technical design (expiring tokens, always-online requirement) is impractical and off-putting
  • ↓Skeptical of market viability since customers, merchants, and authorities lack strong incentives to adopt it