As data is recognized as an asset with economic value, the financial system begins to explore new paths for credit, inclusion, and information monetization
It is increasingly common to see institutions treating data as assets — and developing products based on them. I’m not talking about predictive analysis or sophisticated CRM. I’m talking about custody, credit, and securitization backed by operational data.
The logic is simple, although disruptive. If a company can prove that it generates value from its data base — whether through customer loyalty, recurring flows, or the analytical potential of its operation — why couldn’t this data serve as collateral, or even as the structure for debt issuance? This is what is already being tested in countries like China, where commercial banks have begun formal operations of data custody, informational assessment, and the structuring of credit backed by this type of asset.
Individuals also generate value with their data — and today, little or none of that returns to them. The transaction history, recurring payments, punctuality with obligations, consumption patterns, and even how someone interacts with financial services or digital platforms all have informational value. In theory, this data is already used for scoring and credit granting. What changes the game now is the possibility of activating this value in a fairer and more transparent way, and redirecting it as a direct benefit to the data holder.
In some regulatory scenarios, the idea of income derived from the authorized use of personal data is already under discussion. For example, in China, there are early mentions of an architecture in which part of the value generated by the monetization of data — including in the financial sector — could be redistributed.
In Brazil, the LGPD establishes the foundation for control and consent, and Open Finance creates the path for portability. The next step is to recognize that, if data has economic value, the holder should have the right to participate in that value — something that is beginning to be discussed under PLP 234/23. The concept has also appeared in speeches by the former president of the Central Bank, Roberto Campos Neto, when defending the idea of “data wallets” — structures where people could store, authorize the use of, and even trade their data directly, as a way to generate value or access credit.
This could change the role of the financial system. The institution would no longer operate only with traditional assets and would begin to also act as a manager of informational value — whether for companies or for individuals. This requires knowing how to custody data, assess risk based on informational signals, ensure security, respect legal boundaries, and develop products compatible with this new layer of assets.
In Brazil, we still don’t have a formal structure to treat data as financial assets, but the ingredients are there: a legal foundation under construction, infrastructure in development, and a technically advanced financial sector. The opportunity now is for those who want to operate at the intersection of capital, information, and rights — with responsibility and the capacity for innovation.
This is a cycle in the making. But the potential is clear: to expand access to credit, activate invisible value, and reposition the financial system as a driver of an information-based economy.
📌 Originally published in Época Negócios