ECB Appoints Advisory Group for Digital Euro Project

The European Central Bank (ECB) has appointed an advisory group for the digital euro project. Called the Digital Euro Market Advisory Group, it was founded with 30 members from business backgrounds. The council will have a say in the design, distribution, and value that this new digital currency can provide for the payments ecosystem. The … Read more

Italian Payments Giant Nexi Involved in Digital Euro Project

Nexi, a leading European payments company, is reportedly giving advice to the European Central Bank (ECB) related to the digital euro project. The announcement was made by Nexi’s CEO Paolo Bertoluzzo, who also gave his opinion about the future of central bank digital currencies (CBDC) and cryptocurrencies during the Money 20/20 fintech conference in Amsterdam. … Read more

ECB President Christine Lagarde Insists Cryptos Are Not Currencies, Calls Them Highly Speculative, Suspicious

The president of the European Central Bank (ECB), Christine Lagarde, says cryptos are not currencies, adding that they are “highly speculative, suspicious occasionally, and high intensity in terms of energy consumption.” She also discussed the need for stablecoin regulation and central bank digital currencies (CBDCs). Lagarde: ‘Cryptos Are Not Currencies. Full Stop’ ECB President Christine … Read more

BIS Asks Central Banks to Urgently Develop CBDCs to Compete With Crypto Assets

The head of the Bank of International Settlements (BIS) Innovation Hub, Benoît Cœuré, has urged central banks to act now on central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) to compete with initiatives in the private sector, including cryptocurrencies. “CBDCs will take years to be rolled out, while … crypto assets are already here,” he said. BIS Says … Read more

ECB Officially Starts to Investigate Digital Euro — Development Could Begin in 2 Years

The European Central Bank (ECB) says it is “starting to investigate” a digital euro by launching a two-year investigation. ECB President Christine Lagarde believes the ECB should be ready to respond to people’s demands for digital currencies and come up with a European-based solution that “does not jeopardize the whole banking system.” Lagarde Unveils ECB’s … Read more

ECB Vice President States Crypto Should Be Regulated Like Other Assets

European Central Bank (ECB) Vice President Luis De Guindos has stated he wants cryptocurrencies to be subject to the same rules that other assets are. The statements were offered in a presentation given as part of the summer courses offered by the European Parliament, where De Guindos declared his opinion about cryptocurrency regulation. ECB Vice … Read more

Digital Euro to Handle ‘Almost Unlimited’ Payments, Estonian Central Bank Says After Test

A blockchain-based digital euro would be highly scalable allowing it to process an almost unlimited number of payments, the central bank of Estonia has concluded following a recent experiment. Central banks from several euro area countries and the ECB participated in the test, which also professed to show the digital currency’s carbon footprint would be … Read more

Future of Digital Euro ‘Not Clear Yet,’ Former Eurogroup Official Says

Europe’s digital currency project has made some progress recently, with the Eurozone’s central bank moving to its next stage. Critics point, however, to the continuing lack of clarity around the design and purpose of the digital euro after a decade-long delay, if cryptocurrency is taken as a benchmark. Digital Euro to ‘Feel Like a Prepaid … Read more

Digital Euro Project Gets Going as ECB Launches Investigation Phase

After months of deliberation, the European Central Bank has decided to proceed with a digital euro project. Officials insist the new version of Europe’s common currency should “ensure privacy” and provide access to “the safest form of money” at a “negligible” cost to the environment, in comparison with bitcoin. Eurosystem Initiates Digital Euro Project The … Read more