EU-Parlament klärt digitalen Euro bis 2029 ab, um Visa und Stablecoin Grip zu brechen

Nearly two-thirds of all card transactions in the eurozone are processed by Visa and Mastercard. The EU Parliament just voted to end that reliance.

Why the Digital Euro Is a Geopolitical Necessity

The European Parliament's Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON) committee approved the legal framework for a digital euro on Tuesday and ordered immediate trilogue negotiations between EU member states and Parliament. This vote ends three years of clashes between central bankers and commercial banks over deposit revenue.

ECB President Christine Lagarde has long argued the digital euro is needed to safeguard Europe's monetary sovereignty against U.S. dollar-pegged stablecoins like Tether's USDT and Circle's USDC. "Strengthening the resilience of payments in Europe has become a geopolitical necessity," said Markus Ferber, a leading ECON member. "We can no longer accept that digital payments are largely dependent on the goodwill of a few foreign providers."

Cash-Like Privacy with Strict Holding Limits

The new rules clear the ECB to launch both online and offline versions of the digital euro by 2029. The offline version lets users transfer digital euros from phone to phone without internet, guaranteeing cash-like privacy that prevents the ECB from seeing purchase data. Commercial banks won strict holding limits to prevent a bank-run-style exodus from traditional accounts during a crisis.

What Happens Next

The ECB will run a 12-month pilot using a beta version with select merchants and payment service providers. Ferber summed it up: "The euro must work in your pocket and on your phone." If trilogue talks finalize the law this year, the digital euro could be live before the next European Parliament election in 2029 -- giving Europe its own payment rail independent of U.S. networks and stablecoin issuers.

Source: The digital euro takes a massive step forward after winning a crucial European Parliament vote
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