Interview with Piero Cipollone, conducted by Žanete Hāka-Rikarde and Priit Pokk on 29 September 2025

9 October 2025

What benefits would consumers and end users get from the introduction of the digital euro?

The core issue is that the world is changing, and people are increasingly paying digitally. But because cash cannot be used for digital payments, this reduces their freedom of choice. We want to preserve this freedom by complementing physical cash with a digital equivalent – a digital euro. This would ensure that people enjoy the benefits of cash in the digital era.

Cash has key advantages. It is Europeans’ money, issued by their central bank. It is the most widely accepted and inclusive payment solution; and the one that best preserves our privacy. But its role is declining because we cannot use it for digital payments.

In today’s world, if we do not provide people with a digital equivalent to cash, we constrain their freedom. Let me give you an example. You cannot use cash…