Cudis Smart Ring →

For decades, we’ve been presented with a choice in consumer tech: either surrender your personal data to the surveillance economy or pay a high premium for privacy-focused alternatives, often sold by companies that don’t sustain over time. This dichotomy has become so ingrained that we barely question it anymore.

The Cudis smart ring appears to be attempting something different, storing user health data using IPFS and blockchain verification, with users maintaining ownership. The company claims users could monetize their own health data—up to $5,000 per year. While that specific figure warrants skepticism, the model itself is intriguing. When crypto enthusiasts talk about use cases this is the kind of practical application that’s been missing—not speculative tokens, but fundamental restructuring of data ownership. Whether it works remains to be seen, but it’s refreshing to see someone challenging the assumption that privacy must come at a premium.