数字欧元将提供当前技术可实现的最高隐私水平

Odaily News: Piero Cipollone, a member of the European Central Bank's (ECB) Executive Board, stated that the digital euro will provide the highest level of privacy currently achievable with existing technology. For offline payments, transaction details are visible only to the payer and payee; for online payments, the Eurosystem cannot identify the parties involved in the transaction, while relevant banks retain the ability to do so.

The digital euro will still be distributed by commercial banks, which must continue to fulfill existing identity verification and reporting obligations, including anti-money laundering requirements. The European Parliament established its negotiating position on the relevant regulations in July, and EU member states plan to reach an agreement by the end of 2026.

The ECB has selected 36 payment service providers to participate in a 12-month pilot program, which is slated to launch in the second half of 2027. The first issuance of the digital euro is targeted for 2029. In contrast, U.S. law prohibits the Federal Reserve from issuing a central bank digital currency before the end of 2030, and any subsequent issuance would require explicit authorization from Congress. (Decrypt)