European Central Bank officials: Without a digital euro, tokenized platforms may become fragmented

European Central Bank Executive Board member Piero Cipollone stated during the MNI Connect Webcast that without a pan-European digital payment solution covering various daily transactions, the fragmentation risk between tokenization platforms may increase, thereby undermining Europe's "resilience and monetary sovereignty." He pointed out that the goal of the European Central Bank should be to create a digital euro that can be exchanged between banks and used for daily transactions.

Cipollone emphasized, "Our goal is not to replace the role of banks." He stated that the digital euro will provide banks with the infrastructure needed to compete in the digital age and help banks expand the coverage and application scenarios of their own solutions.

According to him, the European Central Bank has not yet decided whether to issue a digital euro but plans to complete the legislative process by the end of 2026. If the project advances, a 12-month pilot program will be launched in the second half of 2027, with a potential official issuance in 2029. The European Central Bank first proposed introducing a digital euro in October 2020 as a complementary digital payment option to cash. Critics argue that the central bank digital currency could give EU officials the means to monitor or even control residents' spending. Cipollone stated in September 2025 that the digital euro will ensure that all Europeans can use a free and widely accepted digital payment method at any time, even in the event of significant disruptions.