President of the European Central Bank: The decision has been made to advance to the final phase of digital euro preparations

ChainCatcher News, the official account of the European Central Bank posted a video on X, in which ECB President Christine Lagarde announced that the Governing Council has decided to advance to the final phase of preparations for the digital euro, marking a key milestone for the project.

She stated that the European Council has requested to accelerate the process in order to launch the digital euro as soon as possible. Lagarde emphasized that while banknotes will continue to circulate, the ECB hopes to allow cash to persist in the form of a "digital euro," enabling the public to use both physical banknotes and "click to use" digital cash, similar to payment apps.

According to the plan: if approved by the European Parliament in 2026, a digital euro pilot will be launched in 2027; if testing goes smoothly, the official rollout across Europe is planned for 2029. Lagarde said that the digital euro is not only a technological project, but also a "symbol of trust in Europe's shared destiny," representing the unity of currency and sovereignty.