To enable the police to act immediately in response to squatting, it’s necessary to prove that the property is the residence of the person making the complaint. However, deeds, ID cards, or invoices don’t prove this. Moradai has developed “El Testigo,” a device that is installed on the door and certifies daily, using biometrics and geolocation, that a person actually lives there. In chapter 68 of “Toque de Ingenio,” Rodrigo Ruano explains why blockchain was dismissed, how they complied with regulations regarding biometric data, and what they would cut from the product if they were to start over.
Guest: Rodrigo Ruano, who was introduced in the episode as the founder of Moradai. Interview published: November 18, 2025. Episode: 68. Duration: 1 h 16 min.
In this episode:
- Why simply owning a property isn’t enough, and what the law requires to consider a dwelling as a home.
- How a trusted service provider replaced blockchain to provide legal validation for evidence.
- What was the most challenging aspect of the technical development, and what could have shortened the time to market?
The conversation was recorded when Moradai was about three or four weeks away from being ready to go to market, following almost two and a half years of development. Rodrigo demonstrated the device during the interview.
Residence and property: what does the law require before the police act.
Rodrigo presents the issue with official statistics. He reports that there were approximately 16,000 annual complaints related to squatting in 2022 and 2023, of which around 3,500 related to secondary residences. He adds that many cases are not reported, and the average time for the General Council of the Judiciary to recover a property is 23.2 months.
Regarding the idea that the police can forcibly remove someone if they are given 24 or 48 hours’ notice, Rodrigo is firm: it’s a myth. What allows the police to intervene without a court order is the evident criminality of the act. In an empty dwelling, this evident criminality disappears quickly; however, in a home invasion, it remains constant, and the police can act weeks or months after the fact.
The difficulty lies in proving residency. Rodrigo distinguishes between ownership and possession: the deeds prove who owns the property, not who actually lives there. The address on the ID, the official address register, or even bills are not reliable, because the person paying the electricity bill may not be the one living in the property. If the police enter without solid evidence, it is the officers who commit the forced entry.
Furthermore, the law refers to regular, occasional, or infrequent use, without providing a measurable definition. This is the gap that Moradai sought to fill with a technical test.
From a blockchain token to a trusted service provider.
Rodrigo completed a master’s degree in engineering in Germany in 2021 and, together with his partner Álvaro, founded a technology services company. They were looking for a unique product with a social impact. A client who had experienced several occupations approached them, requesting a solution utilizing technology.
The initial proposal stemmed from their experience with blockchain: a token backed by a legal contract that would prove the right of ownership. According to their account, law firms and authorities firmly rejected it. The team consulted specialist law firms and realized that the common factor was proving residency. They began building the product at the beginning of 2023.
Blockchain has been replaced by a trusted service provider – a regulated entity under European regulations – which Rodrigo compares to a digital notary. Every piece of evidence generated by the device is sealed with a qualified timestamp and cannot be altered afterward.
That stamp provides immediate legal validity and shifts the burden of proof: the other party would have to demonstrate, through an expert opinion, that the evidence is false. The result is presented as a two-page proof of address certificate, created by the company itself.
Four tests within a device on the door.
Rodrigo summarised the key requirements as follows: firstly, to definitively identify the person; secondly, to demonstrate that the device is located in that specific residence and is not being moved; thirdly, to securely record the exact moment of each test; and finally, to guarantee the integrity of the information. A mobile phone or card are not valid as identification because they can be lent out.
The witness is affixed to the inner surface of the main door, at face height. It recognizes the facial pattern of up to six individuals registered, with measures against masks, photographs, or videos. Each registration is geolocated and linked to the property; the device stops functioning if it is moved.
They don’t take photos regularly. They only capture one image during the initial registration, which appears in the certificate alongside the coordinates. Afterwards, they compare the biometric data with the data stored on their own device. This requires just one recording per day, which occurs automatically when passing through a door without any deliberate action.
The door isn’t random. According to Rodrigo, the first thing an occupier does is change the lock, so the device alerts if the door opens or if there’s movement nearby. The installation is completed with an adhesive, a rail, the home Wi-Fi, and the app, with a battery life of up to a year.
Data protection: the most challenging aspect of technical development.
When asked about the most challenging aspect, Rodrigo didn’t mention the casing or mechanics, but rather the data protection. The processing of biometric data is prohibited unless a justification can be provided for lifting this prohibition, as permitted by the General Data Protection Regulation. This required a highly detailed impact assessment and numerous technical changes.
“All biometric processing must be carried out locally”.
Rodrigo Ruano 54:23.
The biometric data remains within the device and is not shared with any third parties for identification purposes. It is stored encrypted within a security module, which, according to them, meets the highest industry standard. Each additional layer added to comply with regulations consumed resources and time.
Electronics also presented a challenge: Rodrigo describes it as highly sophisticated, involving numerous components, antenna and communication work, iteration, and testing. It represents Electronic engineering where the legal requirement defines the architecture: specifying where data is processed, where it is stored, and what is sent to the server.
That police and judges understand the certificate.
A test is only useful if the person receiving it is able to interpret it correctly. Rodrigo explains that the certificate was defined in consultation with judges and police, and that the first page cites relevant case law and applicable instructions, along with the consequences of not acting accordingly. However, he clarifies that they never guarantee 100% effectiveness.
The company is developing training programs in collaboration with police forces, so that officers can recognize the certificate and the “certified address” sign displayed on the door. Simultaneously, Caser, an insurance company, is supporting this service: in the event of an incident, a specialist lawyer handles the procedure, and a policy covers legal costs, lock replacement, and cleaning.
Rodrigo also establishes usage limits. A second home where one spends a week a year requires proof of residence; one where one stays for just one day does not. Conversations with law firms revealed two additional cases of use: to prove tax residence and to demonstrate continued residence for integration permits.
Market launch: pre-sale, short series, and a lesson for everyone.
Moradai ran a pre-sale targeting a hundred customers through its website and social media, and worked with estate agents, insurers and professional firms as referral partners. They ruled out Kickstarter: residence legislation varies by country, and they preferred to test the product with controlled groups before a large-scale campaign.
The advertised price was 100 euros for the device, plus 25 euros per month, or 300 euros per year without paying for the device. Rodrigo explains that during the pre-sale, they were told that the initial price seemed too low, and that they would refund the entire amount paid if the trial didn’t work.
The initial series was a limited production run of approximately 500 units, with a target of 1,500 for the following year, and an open investment round. Rodrigo argued for a cautious approach, as the product deals with sensitive issues, and the authorities require time to fully understand it.
When assessing the situation, it’s highlighted that the “minimum viable product” and rapid iteration mindset doesn’t align with a regulated product, involving biometric data and legal validation.
“You need to create a product that’s outstanding from the very beginning”.
Rodrigo Ruano 1:08:17.
His biggest mistake, as he admits, was wanting a very advanced product from the outset. A version with fewer features would have allowed for a launch several months earlier and saved on development costs. It’s a common decision in product design and development: separate the non-negotiable aspects, such as tamper-proof biometrics, from what can be discussed afterward.
What can another development team learn?
The Moradai case offers four key lessons for products that require legally sound testing.
- Let’s begin with the legal framework. The team switched to a new technology after the management explained what test the police actually needed.
- Designing privacy into the hardware. Processing biometrics locally and encrypting it within a secure module was an architectural decision, not a final adjustment.
- To reduce the initial version. Identifying what is beyond dispute from what can be anticipated significantly reduces months of trial and error.
- Climbing in short bursts. A controlled series allows us to test the behavior outside of the laboratory before producing thousands of units.
At the time of the interview, Moradai was preparing the handover to clients regarding pre-orders and the initial 500-unit batch. According to Rodrigo, the company holds national and international patents, and publishes on its website a report from a judge confirming the product’s validity.
At i-mas, we develop electronics for devices that combine sensors, communication, and security or regulatory requirements. If your product needs to process sensitive data locally or generate reliable records, Tell us about your project..
To continue reading: Why do European hardware startups struggle to scale?.
Source of article: An interview with Edgar Guerrero and Rodrigo Ruano on “Toque de Ingenio.” The excerpts cited link to the minute of the conversation. The project recommendations are a summarised editorial from i-mas.
