Digital euro targets Visa and Mastercard's 47% market share
- —Visa and Mastercard processed 47% of eurozone card payment value in 2025
- —The digital euro pilot starts in H2 2027 with 36 participating finance firms
- —Acceptance of the digital euro becomes mandatory for euro-area businesses by 2029
- —ECB development costs are estimated at €1.3 billion; banks face €4–6 billion over four years
Why it matters: The project creates a public alternative to US payment networks and could reshape eurozone payments, though it still needs EU legislation and a final ECB issuance decision.
Source: The Cryptonomist