Overview
- An AFP review finds a new burst of online claims wrongly suggesting the digital euro would start in October 2025 after Christine Lagarde referenced a timetable for a preparatory phase.
- Posts by politicians including Austria’s Harald Vilimsky and France’s Nicolas Dupont-Aignan amplified the inaccurate timeline and framed the project as a threat to civil liberties.
- ECB guidance reiterates that a digital euro would complement cash, be risk‑free central bank money held in wallets, support online and offline payments, and not allow the ECB to directly link transactions to individuals.
- Officials underscore strategic goals such as reducing reliance on U.S. payment giants and countering the spread of dollar‑pegged stablecoins, as highlighted by ECB chief economist Philip Lane.
- No decision has been taken, EU law is a prerequisite, and timelines discussed to AFP point to mid‑2027 or 2028 at the earliest, while a Bundesbank official has suggested first use could slip to 2029; awareness has risen to 40% but willingness to use remains below half.