ECB Sees 2029 As Realistic Timeline For Digital Euro Launch, Says Cipollone

The European Central Bank (ECB) could roll out a digital euro in 2029, as momentum builds behind the long-running project and political talks advance, according to Executive Board member Piero ￰1￱ pointed to a “major breakthrough” last week after euro area finance chiefs agreed on a framework for customer holding limits, a key feature for controlling usage and safeguarding bank deposits. “The discussion at the level of member-states is going very well,” he told a Bloomberg Future of Finance event in Frankfurt on ￰2￱ timing, he added that “the middle of 2029 could be a fair assessment.” The digital euro could become a reality in 2029 as efforts intensify to get the long-running project off the ground, according to European Central Bank Executive Board member Piero Cipollone ￰0￱ — Bloomberg (@business) September 23, 2025 Digital Euro Drive Aims To Limit Stablecoin Dominance As EU Lawmakers Weigh Rules The ECB has been pushing the initiative for years to reduce reliance on private payment giants such as Visa and ￰3￱ also want to ensure that dollar-backed stablecoins do not set the standard for everyday digital payments across ￰4￱ remains the biggest ￰5￱ European Parliament must approve the legal underpinnings of the ￰6￱ said that following an Oct. 24 progress report, lawmakers will have six weeks to propose amendments, then five months for ￰7￱ schedule could yield an early May milestone.

“By beginning of May, we should have a position also of the parliament,” he ￰8￱ states are working in parallel. “We should arrive at a general approach, as they call it, an agreement among member-states by the end of the year,” Cipollone ￰9￱ Questions Loom Over Digital Euro, From Privacy To Coexistence With Banks Technical choices are still ￰10￱ have reportedly weighed building on a public blockchain such as Ethereum or Solana , a shift from earlier thinking that favored a private ledger operated by the ￰11￱ say an open network could broaden ￰12￱ warn it could expose transactions and complicate privacy ￰13￱ argue a digital euro could lower costs, increase transparency and speed up retail ￰14￱ question how the design will protect user privacy , coexist with banks and compete with existing stablecoins without distorting ￰15￱ ECB has moved in stages, from initial study to a preparation phase, while national governments and EU institutions shape the ￰16￱ with momentum, launch will require political agreement, technical readiness and safeguards that meet Europe’s standards on privacy and stability.