Europe’s dream of a digital euro, a shiny central bank digital currency just got a reality check.
According to Piero Cipollone, Executive Board member of the ECB, don’t bet on seeing the digital euro before mid-2029.
That’s nearly a decade after its introduction kicked off in October 2020.
Agreement among the member states
Cipollone threw this timeline bomb during a Bloomberg Future of Finance event in Frankfurt, admitting the clock is ticking way slower than hopeful fans of the digital euro imagined.
He pointed fingers at the European Parliament, blaming it as the biggest roadblock on this journey.
The Parliament’s job? Pass the necessary legislation to turn the digital euro gamble into reality.
Cipollone says an agreement among EU member states should shape up by the end of 2025, with Parliament likely to take its official stance by May 2026.
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Politicians will decide how much digital euro users could hold
This delay is happening despite growing calls across the continent to fast-track a CBDC to safeguard Europe’s financial independence, especially against the rising tide of US stablecoins. Yet, the wheels of Brussels turn sluggishly.
Just last week, EU ministers struck a compromise on the digital euro’s roadmap, setting limits on how much digital euro users could hold.
Paschal Donohoe, Irish Finance Minister and Eurogroup President, summed up the deal, before any final call on issuing the digital euro, there will be room for more chat in the Council of Ministers.
Translation? Lots more politicking before your digital wallet gets a euro facelift.
Distant horizon
The ECB isn’t throwing in the towel, though. They’re aiming to decide by October whether to move into the next phase of their digital euro adventure.
After that, lawmakers get six weeks to tweak the plan and five more months to debate, plenty of time for realpolitik to stretch out the timeline.
For the crypto crowd this means patience is the name of the game. Europe’s digital euro is still making baby steps, measuring the labyrinthine dance of legislation and member-state politics.
Mid-2029 is the new distant horizon, mark your calendars, but don’t hold your breath.
Cryptocurrency and Web3 expert, founder of Kriptoworld
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With years of experience covering the blockchain space, András delivers insightful reporting on DeFi, tokenization, altcoins, and crypto regulations shaping the digital economy.
