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The European Central Bank (ECB) has officially launched its digital euro central bank digital currency (CBDC) innovation platform, a testbed for exploring conditional payments, financial inclusion, and tokenization within the digital euro system.
Seventy organizations ranging from banks to startups, fintechs, merchants, and payment providers have signed up. The pioneer group, focusing on conditional payments, will utilize a simulated digital euro platform.
What are conditional payments?
Conditional payments are triggered if a condition is met, after which they will happen automatically. For example, micropayments could be made upon the outcome of a game of chance or when insurance payout conditions are met.
Example: Party A shall pay Party B €1,000 upon meeting a target of €50,000 in net sales during Q1 2025.
These ‘automatic’ payments require a trigger event or a deadline, verification (e.g., via oracles), and conditions for non-occurrence and partial fulfillment. On blockchains and digital ledgers, they are agreed and executed via smart contracts.
When is the digital euro due?
The ECB has accelerated its digital euro preparation phase, which is now set to conclude in October 2025. This phase involves finalizing the design, conducting testing, and engaging with stakeholders.
In March, ECB President Christine Lagarde emphasized the importance of this project, announcing its acceleration. Since the change in geopolitical strategy in the United States, the ECB has been focused on financial independence and strategic autonomy.
The completion of the preparation phase does not mean the digital euro will be launched imminently. There’s still a legislative process, and the EU’s Governing Council must make multiple decisions before the full rollout.
ECB realizes interoperability between ledgers is an issue
The ECB has long known about the inevitable interoperability issues between multiple ledgers. In 2016, it published a paper on integrating distributed ledger technologies (DLTs) into existing financial markets, highlighting interoperability issues.
Interoperability issues include inefficiencies, security vulnerabilities, lack of common standards, consensus and finality differences, and asset representation problems. The ECB has yet to announce the exact architecture of the digital euro system, but it’s likely to involve a scalable private ledger it controls.
In contrast, much of the blockchain industry still struggles with scalability and compatibility, relying on a patchwork of isolated ledgers that rarely acknowledge core interoperability challenges.
As the sandbox progresses, all eyes are on the ECB’s final report. It will likely leave some clues as to how Europe’s digital monetary future will be shaped.
Watch: Finding ways to use CBDC outside of digital currencies
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