Digital Euro: What It Is, When It Is Coming and What It Changes for You

The digital euro is the European Central Bank's planned digital cash: central bank money you could use with your smartphone or a card in shops, online and between friends, free of charge for basic use and as a complement to notes and coins. It is still in preparation: the ECB wants to be ready for a first issuance in 2029, provided the European Parliament and the Council of the EU adopt the regulation by the end of 2026. Both have been negotiating the text since 13 July 2026 in the trilogue, the talks between Parliament, Council and European Commission.