01
What it is
Central bank money in digital form. Public money issued by the European Central Bank, one euro to one euro.
Next milestoneTargeted
104days
·19hours
·45minutes
·26seconds
targeted for
Political agreement on the Digital Euro Regulation targeted
Negotiators are targeting a political agreement between the Parliament and Council on the digital euro regulation by the end of 2026. This is a target, not a deadline.
Source: Council of the EU / European Parliament, 13 Jul 2026
The digital euro has no confirmed launch date. This clock counts down to the next scheduled step in the process.
Start here
The digital euro in 60 seconds
02
What it isn't
Not a cryptocurrency. Not a stablecoin. Not a replacement for cash.
03
Why now
Payment sovereignty. Most card payments in the eurozone rely on non-European networks; a public option would reduce that dependency.
04
Where it stands
In trilogue negotiations between the Parliament and the Council. Not yet law. No decision to issue has been taken.
What it means for you
What the digital euro means for you
Answer four quick questions for a plain-language summary. Nothing here is financial advice — it's the same source-checked facts, tailored to your situation.
How do you usually pay?
Do you have a bank account?
Are you an individual or a small business?
Answer all four questions and your tailored summary will appear here.
Where things stand
Where things actually stand
Every step is dated and sourced. Click a step for detail.
Fact check
Myth vs Fact
Common claims about the digital euro, checked against the primary sources.
The digital euro is designed to complement euro banknotes and coins, not replace them. The Commission proposal keeps cash as legal tender.
For you
Prepare for it
Nothing urgent. A few low-stakes, genuinely useful things you can do now.
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If someone asks for money for a digital euro, it's a scam.
No one can pre-register you, pre-order for you, sell you access, or take an investment in the digital euro. It does not exist yet. Anyone offering this is running a scam. Report it to your national consumer authority.
Currency reference
Compare the euro against other currencies
A digital euro would be worth exactly one euro. This tool uses official European Central Bank reference rates so you can see what a euro is worth today.
Loading reference rates…
Rates via frankfurter.app, sourced from the European Central Bank. Indicative only — not a quote for a transaction.
Global context
How does it compare?
The digital euro isn't the only digital currency in the works. Here's a quick look at how it lines up against China's e-CNY, the Bahamas' Sand Dollar and the proposed UK digital pound — all sourced.
Digital euro
European Central Bank
In negotiation
Planned (not yet built)
e-CNY (digital yuan)
People's Bank of China
Pilot (live)
Offline payments supported
Sand Dollar
Central Bank of The Bahamas
Launched
Offline payments supported
Digital pound
Bank of England (with HM Treasury)
Development
Planned
Primary sources only
Source library
Everything on this site is drawn from these primary sources.
- European Central Bank
Digital euro — overview
The ECB's main hub explaining what the digital euro is and where the project stands.
Open source
- European Central Bank
Eurosystem moves to next phase of the digital euro project
Press release announcing the move to a further phase focused on technical readiness.
Open source
- European Commission
Commission proposal for a Digital Euro Regulation
The Commission's June 2023 legislative package on the digital euro and the use of cash.
Open source
- Council of the EU
Council adopts negotiating mandate on the digital euro
The Council's negotiating position on the digital euro regulation.
Open source
- European Parliament
ECON committee report on the digital euro
The Economic and Monetary Affairs committee's report, approved 43–14.
Open source
- Deutsche Bundesbank
Digital euro — Bundesbank explainer
Germany's national central bank overview of the digital euro project.
Open source
- Central Bank of Ireland
What is a digital euro?
Consumer-facing explainer from the Central Bank of Ireland.
Open source
- Banco de España
El euro digital
Banco de España's overview of the digital euro.
Open source
- BEUC (The European Consumer Organisation)
Digital euro — what it means for consumers
The umbrella body for 40+ national consumer groups, looking at the digital euro from the household side: everyday payments, fees, cash access and privacy.
Open source
- Finanztip
Digital euro: what it means for your everyday money
A mainstream personal-finance guide to how a digital euro could change daily payments, bank accounts, cash use and consumer rights.
Open source
Audio sources
Listen: the digital euro on air
Three episodes from reputable podcasts that discuss or mention the digital euro.
The ECB Podcast
Like cash, but digital: the facts behind the digital euro
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- European Central Bank31 min
Like cash, but digital: the facts behind the digital euro
The ECB's own podcast takes on the most common claims about the digital euro: whether it would replace cash, what the ECB would and would not see, and what stage the project is at.
- European Commission (with the ECB Podcast)33 min
The one about the digital euro with ECB Executive Board Member Piero Cipollone
A joint Commission and ECB episode with Executive Board member Piero Cipollone on how a digital euro would work, the disinformation around it, and when it could actually arrive.
- Bruegel48 min
Digital euro: why now and what's next
Independent think-tank discussion with Piero Cipollone and Pablo Hernández de Cos on why the EU wants a CBDC, how much people should be able to hold, and the effect on banks.
Direct episode links (3 audio sources)
- 1. Like cash, but digital: the facts behind the digital euro — The ECB Podcast
- 2. The one about the digital euro with ECB Executive Board Member Piero Cipollone — EU Finance — The Future of Finance
- 3. Digital euro: why now and what's next — The Sound of Economics
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