Author: DigitalEuroNews

A majority of German financial sector professionals remain unconvinced that Europe needs a digital euro, according to a new survey published by the Center for Financial Studies, adding to growing evidence of industry caution as the project moves closer to key political decisions. The survey, conducted by the Center for Financial Studies (CFS) and supported by Frankfurt Main Finance, finds that more than 60 percent of respondents do not see a clear need for a digital euro. Only around one-third believe a central bank digital currency would add meaningful value alongside existing electronic payment options. Low expected user uptake is…

Visa is accelerating its move into agent-led commerce, announcing that secure, AI-initiated transactions have now been completed in live environments and unveiling new trust infrastructure designed to make such payments viable at scale. The updates signal a broader industry shift toward AI systems that can autonomously search, decide, and pay on behalf of consumers, without manual checkout. According to Visa, hundreds of real transactions have already been processed by AI agents acting for users, using its Intelligent Commerce platform. The company says these pilots demonstrate that AI systems can move beyond recommendation and comparison tools to fully execute purchases, provided…

Europe’s growing reliance on non-European payment technologies risks undermining both monetary stability and strategic autonomy, according to Denis Beau, First Deputy Governor of the Banque de France. Speaking in Paris on 11 December, Beau argued that the rapid digitalisation of payments and finance has turned payment systems into a geopolitical issue, not just a technical one. The decline of cash and the rise of card and online payments have brought speed and convenience, but at a cost. Most digital payments in Europe rely on non-European providers, particularly US card networks, increasing dependence on foreign standards, infrastructures, and data handling. Beau…

Klarna has taken a notable step into digital asset infrastructure by partnering with Coinbase to add stablecoin funding to its treasury operations. The Swedish payments firm plans to raise short-term funding from institutional investors using USDC, marking one of the clearest examples yet of a major European fintech adopting stablecoins as a balance sheet tool rather than a consumer product. According to the announcement, Klarna will use Coinbase’s infrastructure to access USDC-denominated funding alongside its existing sources, which include consumer deposits, long-term loans, and short-dated commercial paper. The company described the initiative as an early-stage development, positioning it as an…

The Federal Reserve Board has launched a public consultation on a new type of Reserve Bank account designed for institutions focused mainly on payments. Known as a “Payment Account,” the proposal aims to give eligible firms limited access to Federal Reserve payment services while tightly controlling risks. According to documents released in December 2025, the Payment Account would be a special-purpose account used only for clearing and settling an institution’s own payment activity. It would not be a full master account and would not change which institutions are legally allowed to access Federal Reserve services. A response to payments innovation…

Global losses from cryptocurrency hacks reached $3.4 billion in 2025, marking one of the most damaging years on record despite a decline in the number of individual incidents. The figures come from early findings of the annual crypto crime review published by Chainalysis and were highlighted in a recent post on the company’s official X account. The data shows a clear shift in the nature of crypto crime. Hackers carried out fewer attacks overall, but the average size of each breach rose sharply, pushing total losses slightly above 2024 levels. Analysts say the trend reflects a growing focus on high-value…

The Council of the European Union has agreed its negotiating position on legislation that would enable the introduction of a digital euro while strengthening the legal tender status of physical cash. The move marks a major step in the EU’s single currency agenda, linking digital payments innovation with explicit safeguards for cash use across the euro area. The agreement covers two draft regulations establishing a legal framework for a potential digital euro and a separate regulation aimed at ensuring the wide acceptance and availability of euro banknotes and coins. According to the Council, the package is intended to improve Europe’s…

The European Central Bank must modernise money to remain the anchor of trust in a rapidly digitalising financial system, according to Piero Cipollone, a member of the ECB Executive Board. Speaking in Rome, Cipollone said the digital euro, tokenised central bank money and faster cross-border payments are essential to preserve Europe’s monetary sovereignty and payment autonomy. In a speech at a roundtable hosted by Aspen Institute Italia, Cipollone argued that doing nothing is not an option for central banks. As payments become digital and financial services increasingly depend on new technologies, central bank money risks becoming marginal unless it evolves…

SoFi Technologies has launched a fully reserved US dollar stablecoin designed to serve as core financial infrastructure for banks, fintechs, and enterprise partners. The stablecoin, issued by SoFi Bank, N.A., is backed one-to-one by cash held on the balance sheet and is immediately redeemable in US dollars, according to Business Wire. The new token, called SoFiUSD, is issued by SoFi’s nationally chartered bank and operates on a public, permissionless blockchain. SoFi said the stablecoin is intended to combine the efficiency of blockchain-based settlement with the regulatory safeguards of a US bank, including full compliance with existing banking supervision and capital…

Mexican fintech company Plata has secured up to $500 million in financing as it prepares to launch as a fully licensed bank in Mexico, according to a Reuters report published on December 15. The funding marks one of the largest private credit deals in the country’s fintech sector and underscores strong investor confidence in digital banking growth. The financing was arranged by Nomura Securities International and structured as a private credit facility. It comes as Plata moves into the final phase of its banking rollout, after receiving regulatory approval for its bank license in December 2024. Plata had already strengthened…