Digital euro CBDC is 'symbol of trust in our common destiny' — ECB head

The comments from European Central Bank head Christine Lagarde drew overwhelming backlash from the crypto community and political influencers.

European Central Bank (ECB) president Christine Lagarde released a statement on Friday touting the digital euro, a central bank digital currency (CBDC), as a unifying force in the European Union (EU) and said the ECB is aiming to launch it “as early as possible.”

“As much as banknotes will continue to circulate, we want cash to be in the form of a digital euro as well,” Lagarde said, adding that the central bank digital currency could be used for online payments in the EU. She continued:

The ECB governing council announced on Thursday that it will move ahead with building the technical infrastructure to test and deploy a retail CBDC, slated to begin rolling out in 2029, if EU lawmakers pass legislation allowing the ECB to issue it.

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