European Central Bank officials: The digital euro will enhance Europe's payment sovereignty, with a pilot program starting next year

According to Cointelegraph, Piero Cipollone, a member of the Executive Board of the European Central Bank, stated that the digital euro is expected to help the European Union establish a self-controlled payment infrastructure and reduce reliance on non-European third-party payment service providers. Europe has already recognized the risks of excessive dependence on external forces in critical areas such as energy and defense, and the same applies to the payment sector. However, payment sovereignty does not mean excluding third parties, but rather allowing Europe to have autonomous choices in key services.

The European Central Bank plans to launch a digital euro pilot next year and will test it using real transactions. It is currently collaborating with 36 market operators to prepare, while also inviting e-commerce and mobile commerce operators to participate.