ECB Confirms Blockchain-Based Settlements in Central Bank Money by 2026 as Digital Euro Privacy Debate Intensifies

"We now need to take the next steps. Today, I will discuss the challenges we face, how public and private money can complement each other and what this means for retail, wholesale and cross-border payments. Our strategy is three-fold. First, we are getting ready for the potential issuance of a digital equivalent of cash: the digital euro. Second, starting next year, we will make it possible to settle transactions based on distributed ledger technology (DLT) in central bank money. And third, we are working on interlinking our fast payment system with those of other countries to enhance cross-border payments."

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More coverage

• ECB confirms 2026 rollout of blockchain settlement - Capital Pioneer (capitalpioneer.co.uk)
• ECB to pilot blockchain-based euro settlement system by 2026 (tradingview.com)
• The Anchor and the Rail: Eurosystem's 2026 Payments Strategy (bobsguide.com)
• Rethinking Payments – Wholesale Settlement Solutions as an Anchor (bankenverband.de)
• Towards an efficient and integrated digital capital market in Europe (ecb.europa.eu)

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