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2026-02-18 17:30:21
[ECB Outlines Digital Euro Blueprint: Lower Fees, Cross-Border Usability, Ready by 2029] ⑴ ECB Executive Board member Cipolone outlined the key design principles of the digital euro on Tuesday. He stated that national payment systems can cooperate with the digital euro according to their own wishes, demonstrating compatibility with existing payment systems. ⑵ Regarding fees, Cipolone revealed that transaction fees for digital euro payments by merchants will be lower than the current rates of international card organizations such as Visa and Mastercard, but higher than the fees of domestic card organizations (such as Bancomat in Italy). This design aims to balance competitiveness with the protection of the existing system. ⑶ The digital euro will significantly improve the convenience of cross-border use of payment instruments. Cipolone cited the example that in the future, bank cards from payment systems such as Bancomat in Italy will be usable in other Eurozone countries outside of Italy, breaking down the current geographical boundaries of national payment systems. ⑷ In terms of timeline, the ECB aims to build a digital euro network by 2029 for private payment systems to access and use. This marks the transition of the digital euro from conceptual design to concrete implementation.
