The European Parliament authorized negotiations on the proposed legal framework for the digital euro in July 2026.

Overview Debates Related claims Topics Sources

Traditional commercial banks are developing their own digital currencies, a development welcomed by Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire

Under EU rules, Saldo Bank's specialized banking license grants passporting rights to extend regulated financial services into member countries without seeking individual national licenses

Regulators should require central bank money for settling tokenized securities

A privately managed tenge stablecoin is preferable to a state-run central bank digital currency

The National Bank of Kazakhstan should partner with Tether to develop its digital currency infrastructure

Private bank stablecoins are preferable to central bank digital currencies for tokenized settlement

The European Union's NIS Cooperation Group has recommended that member states adopt a post-quantum migration strategy by the end of 2026.

Europol recommends establishing a European Commission-led working group, including Europol, ENISA, and the EU Anti-Money Laundering Authority, to regularly brief policymakers on quantum threats.

Several economies are exploring their own alternatives to U.S. dollar-backed stablecoins

On September 30, 2026, ESMA stated that its MiCA reform proposals would support faster, more consistent supervisory action and reduce opportunities for companies to exploit regulatory differences

In September 2026, reports emerged that European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde had intervened with Greek officials over Binance's failed MiCA license application.

Under MiCA rules, unlicensed crypto companies had to wind down their European Union businesses starting July 1, 2026, serving existing customers only to help them transfer or sell their crypto holdings.

Europe's regulatory environment makes it difficult for companies to innovate

The European Commission may choose to investigate Hive Digital Technologies' complaint over Sweden's VAT reclassification of its subsidiaries and take action, or it could close the complaint without following up

Hive Digital Technologies is escalating its Swedish VAT dispute to the European Commission because Swedish courts refused to refer the Value Added Tax classification question to the Court of Justice of the European Union

The ECB should proceed with launching a retail digital euro

European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde worried that the proliferation of dollar-based stablecoins via Binance would undermine the central bank's digital euro project.

The European Union should prioritize the digital euro over private stablecoins

The European Central Bank is planning a digital euro pilot in 2027, with a targeted first issuance penciled in for 2029.

Hong Kong's planned wholesale central bank digital currency launch by the end of 2026 is part of Project EnsembleTX, which aims to ease time constraints in existing payment systems