
ECB begins testing digital euro in shops and points of sale
- —Tests are taking place in real shops and at checkouts to assess integration with cash registers and TPVs
- —The design provides for offline small-value payments with cash-level anonymity
- —Storage limits in digital wallets are planned for citizens to protect bank deposits
- —For merchants — lower fees and instant settlements directly from the central bank
Why it matters: The pilot will determine the timing and terms of a large-scale digital euro launch, which could change payment competition and affect stablecoins in the EU.
Source: Bit2Me News