The European Central Bank (ECB) stated that it has completed the groundwork for a digital version of the euro.
At its final press conference of the year, officials confirmed that technical and preparatory steps have been taken, and the project is currently under review by the European Council and the European Parliament.
ECB President Christine Lagarde said the institution’s part of the job is finished, and the next decision belongs to EU lawmakers.
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According to the ECB, the systems are ready, and key protections are in place. The focus now turns to political approval, which will determine whether the digital euro can move toward implementation.
The project envisions a digital form of public money that anyone in the euro area can use. It would carry the same legal status as cash and aim to improve the safety, efficiency, and independence of Europe’s payment system.
The ECB said this new option could also help protect privacy and ensure people always have access to central bank money.
The purpose of the digital euro is to “ensure that central bank money with the status of legal tender remains available to the general public, while offering a state-of-the-art and cost-efficient payment means”, and to provide “a high level of privacy in digital payments”.
Lagarde added that the goal is to maintain a reliable foundation for Europe’s financial system.
Recently, the ECB stated that stablecoins do not currently pose a risk to financial stability in the euro area. What did the ECB financial stability experts say? Read the full story.
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