Money20/20: Digital euro is highly likely, says ECB’s Evelien Witlox

As a researcher, I find Evelien Witlox’s presentation at Money20/20 on the potential implications of a digital euro to be thought-provoking and insightful. With her extensive background as Digital Euro Director at the European Central Bank, she brings a unique perspective to the table.


At the Money20/20 conference, Evelien Witlox, the Digital Euro Director from the European Central Bank, explored the possible consequences of introducing a digital euro and how it might reshape the Euro zone’s payment system.

Observing a decline in cash transactions throughout Europe, Witlox implied that the possibility of a digital euro was under consideration.

“It’s quite probable that we will invest in the digital euro as well,” Witlox noted, “but it’s not yet a certainty.”

Witlox pointed out that the European Central Bank intends to tread carefully despite increasing pressure from the decreasing use of cash and the emergence of new currencies and digital payment methods.

As a crypto investor standing in Amsterdam, I’ve noticed an intriguing trend. Surprisingly, less than half of the transactions here are carried out using cash. Instead, the remaining majority is handled digitally.

The European Central Bank is considering launching a digital euro, serving as an electronic counterpart to traditional paper money. Once legally tendered upon issue, this digital currency would enable the populace to conduct their daily financial dealings with central bank funds.

Merchants providing digital payments would need to accept the digital euro if residents choose to use it, according to Witlox, presenting a possible advantage for citizens.

Security and privacy

The drive for a digital euro in Europe is in part fueled by concerns that relying too heavily on payment systems based outside the continent may jeopardize our economic self-sufficiency and endanger the safety of both personal and government transactions.

As a concerned crypto investor, I’ve been pondering Europe’s reliance on external payment systems and how it impacts our economic independence. To mitigate this dependence and strengthen our sovereignty, I believe that introducing a digital euro is an effective solution. By having our own digital currency, we can secure our data and bolster our financial independence within the European Union.

“Digital inclusion is vital. The digital euro is being developed to enable full participation in the digital economy for all, according to Whitlox.”

Witlox added that the European Central Bank holds no intention of scrutinizing individual user and client transactions, placing great emphasis on safeguarding privacy and security in the process. Technical approaches like “privacy built-in from the start” (privacy by design) and offline digital currencies will be employed to tackle these concerns. The European Central Bank does not intend to develop programmable money.

“Witlox mentioned that we’ve implemented privacy protections from the get-go. The financial exchanges will proceed via the European Central Bank’s internal network.”

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2024-06-05 18:26