ECB: Stablecoins and tokenized deposits must be anchored to central bank currency for settlement

According to market news, European Central Bank Executive Board member Piero Cipollone stated in a speech in Brussels on Monday that for the European tokenized financial market to achieve scalability, stablecoins and tokenized deposits must use tokenized central bank currency as a public settlement anchor. He pointed out that the euro system DLT settlement project Pontes is expected to launch in the early third quarter of 2026, allowing market participants to settle DLT transactions in central bank currency.

In addition, the ECB's Appia plan aims to build a blueprint for the European tokenized financial ecosystem by 2028 and calls for feedback from all parties. Cipollone also warned that Europe would face the risk of "building advanced settlement infrastructure on fragmented regulations" if it lacks a unified tokenized legal framework.