Deutsche Börse CEO Stephan Leithner is pushing for a permanent digital euro to strengthen the EU’s financial autonomy.
In a policy paper, he proposes shifting from a Capital Markets Union to a Savings and Investments Union, with a central bank digital currency (CBDC) at its core.
Leithner sees a digital euro as key to modernizing Europe’s financial system, improving transaction efficiency, and reducing dependence on the U.S. dollar. He urges collaboration between the European Central Bank and national regulators to integrate digital payments seamlessly.
He also calls for aligning financial regulations like MiCA and DORA to enhance the euro’s global competitiveness. While his paper outlines strategic goals, it lacks specifics on implementation. Meanwhile, banks like Standard Chartered continue expanding into digital asset services.
Beyond financial efficiency, Leithner argues that a digital euro could help establish the EU as a leader in digital finance. He stresses the importance of developing “cash on ledger” and programmable payment systems, which could create a more interconnected and resilient financial infrastructure for the region.
China’s top central banker, Pan Gongsheng, has reaffirmed the country’s push to accelerate the digital yuan’s global reach, highlighting plans to establish an international operations hub for the e-CNY in Shanghai.
Shopify is taking a bigger step into digital payments by testing out stablecoin transactions using USDC on Coinbase’s Base, a fast, low-cost Ethereum Layer-2 network.
A bipartisan push on Capitol Hill is giving America’s biggest merchants a new reason to dabble in blockchain.
A wave of interest in stablecoins is sweeping through corporate America, with a growing number of companies—large and small—now exploring blockchain-based payment solutions to bypass traditional inefficiencies.