ECB Digital Euro Report Keeps Preparation Phase Moving
The European Central Bank’s digital euro preparation phase is advancing, focusing on offline payments, privacy, and holding limits. This is still not final political approval; issuance would require broader EU legislative and political agreement. Offline functionality is important for resilience and cash-like use, but it raises challenges around double-spending, privacy, and syncing. Privacy remains central to public acceptance, balancing user confidentiality with anti-money-laundering rules. Holding limits are being explored to reduce the risk of deposits leaving commercial banks and to keep the digital euro mainly as a payment tool. The report shows the digital euro remains one of the most advanced CBDC projects, but it is not yet launched or approved.
