Overview

• A 10‑country poll by BEUC, Euroconsumers and ICRT reports that 42% of adults and 51% of youths have never heard of the digital euro.
• Among those aware of it, only about 11% of adults and 9% of youths feel well informed about the project.
• Consumers expect any digital euro to be secure (55%), easy to use (53%) and low‑ or no‑fee (49%), according to the survey.
• The ECB Governing Council plans to decide by end‑2025 on moving to the next preparatory phase, and board member Piero Cipollone has called 2029 a realistic launch date.
• Wero, developed by the European Payments Initiative, is live in Germany, France and Belgium, but some banking leaders argue digital‑euro plans are discouraging parallel investments and slowing its expansion.