It has been revealed when the digital euro could be launched in Europe
Piero Cipollone, a member of the Executive Board of the European Central Bank, has stated that the digital euro project is vital for preserving Europe’s monetary sovereignty.
According to him, work on the digital euro covers four key areas. These include ensuring inclusivity and accessibility for all users, stimulating innovation through a single payment platform, establishing standards for service providers and operators, and launching a pilot project in a controlled environment.
It is expected that by summer 2026, standards will be announced that will allow manufacturers of terminals and payment apps to integrate the necessary settings at the supply stage.
As noted, this should ensure a smooth transition to the digital euro.
When is the pilot project due to start?
The selection of participants for the pilot programme is scheduled to be completed by the end of June 2026.
Testing is set to begin in the second half of 2027 and will last for around a year.
Thus, in the summer of 2026, Europe is not expecting a full-scale launch of the digital euro, but rather the introduction of technical standards for its subsequent integration into the payment system.
As a reminder, the repair of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant’s sarcophagus, damaged by a Russian drone, will cost around €500 million. Ukraine has already received confirmation from its partners regarding several tens of millions of euros for the upcoming reconstruction.
