Digital Euro Launch Pushed to 2029 at the Earliest, ECB Official Says

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The digital euro, the European Union’s long-planned central bank digital currency (CBDC) project, is facing delays, with its launch now expected around mid-2029.

The EU’s digital euro could become a reality in 2029, European Central Bank Executive Board member Piero Cipollone said in a Bloomberg Future of Finance event Tuesday in Frankfurt. “The middle of 2029 could be a fair assessment,” he said, adding that the ECB has been actively discussing the project at the level of EU member states.

If correct, Cipollone’s timeline would signal another delay for the digital euro, despite widespread calls to launch the CBDC to protect Europe’s financial sovereignty amid the US stablecoin push.

According to Cipollone, the European Parliament has been the biggest obstacle to progress toward a digital euro, as it must pass legislation to move forward with the project.