20.09.2025 07:38
European Union finance ministers recently reached a significant consensus, charting a course to establish individual holding limits for the anticipated digital euro. This pivotal decision, emerging from a Eurogroup press conference following the Economic and Financial Affairs Council meeting in Copenhagen, Denmark, propels the bloc closer to realizing its central bank digital currency (CBDC). Officials confirmed a breakthrough agreement on both the "ceiling for holding limits" and the fundamental "issuance process itself" for the digital euro. Crucially, while procedures for implementing these limits were thoroughly debated, specific figures for the caps were not yet finalized, as one official clarified during the briefing. This development unfolds against a backdrop of similar debates elsewhere; notably, United Kingdom-based cryptocurrency advocacy groups have urged their central bank against imposing comparable restrictions on stablecoin holdings. The concept of a holding limit for the EU's CBDC has been a recurring theme, previously addressed in the European Central Bank’s (ECB) progress report on the digital euro, published late in 2024. Furthermore, reports from 2024, as cited by internet sources, indicated that these very holding limits have become a significant point of contention between the ECB and national central banks, highlighting the complex negotiations involved.
Notwithstanding a global trend leaning towards the adoption of stablecoins, the European Union appears resolutely committed to advancing its digital euro initiative. Just earlier this month, the European Central Bank vigorously renewed its drive to introduce a digital euro, a move that nonetheless provoked resistance from some EU member states. These objections primarily revolved around profound concerns regarding privacy implications for citizens and the potential for adverse impacts on commercial banks. However, ECB board member Piero Cipollone articulated the institution's vision, emphasizing that the forthcoming system "will ensure that all Europeans can pay at all times with a free, universally accepted digital means of payment, even in case of major disruptions." He further underscored the bank's commitment to user privacy, asserting that the institution "will not know anything about" individual payment details, aiming to alleviate concerns about surveillance and data collection.
