ECB's Cipollone details digital euro pilot in 2027, rollout possible 2029

ECB Executive Board member Piero Cipollone said a digital euro pilot using real transactions by central bank staff will begin in 2027, with a possible full rollout in 2029 if EU legislation is adopted this year. He framed it as a European alternative to non-European card schemes, which handle two thirds of online card payments, and said holdings would be capped while payments would not. A state-issued digital currency run on common infrastructure moves Europe toward centrally issued programmable-capable money, a step worth watching alongside questions of privacy and control over participation in the economy.