Author: Oliver Torsney

Germany’s Vice-Chancellor and Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil has sharply criticised delays to the digital euro legislation, warning that failure to advance the project now is “harming Europe itself.” His remarks, made ahead of a meeting of euro area finance ministers in Brussels, underline growing political pressure to move the European Central Bank’s digital currency project into its next phase. The legislative proposal for a digital euro is currently stalled in the European Parliament, where MEPs have struggled to agree on a common position. Without parliamentary approval, negotiations with the Council of the EU cannot begin, potentially pushing back the ECB’s…

Bitcoin was trading near $66,000 on February 13, 2026, extending a months-long decline that has erased its post-election gains and unsettled crypto markets globally. While controversy surrounding the Trump-linked World Liberty Financial has intensified in Washington, available evidence suggests macroeconomic forces, not a single political scandal, are driving the broader sell-off. The world’s largest cryptocurrency has fallen sharply from its October 2025 peak above $126,000. According to Reuters and Associated Press reporting cited in the attached analysis, thin liquidity, reduced risk appetite, and uncertainty around US Federal Reserve policy have weighed heavily on prices. Bitcoin briefly touched levels near $60,000…

The European Central Bank is increasingly framing the digital euro and tokenised central bank money as core pillars of Europe’s economic resilience, rather than niche payments experiments. That message came through clearly on Monday, when Christine Lagarde used her annual address to the European Parliament to link digital money directly to competitiveness, sovereignty and financial stability. In a wide-ranging speech marking the ECB’s Annual Report, Lagarde devoted a substantial section to the future of central bank money. Her remarks went well beyond familiar assurances about privacy or consumer choice. Instead, she placed the digital euro, alongside new initiatives on tokenised…

Block, the US financial technology group behind Square, Cash App and Afterpay, has opened a new strategic European hub in Dublin, underlining its long-term commitment to the region’s payments and fintech ecosystem. The move comes as European regulation tightens and competition intensifies across digital payments, merchant services and embedded finance. The new office, located at One Park Place in Dublin’s Docklands, is designed to act as a focal point for Block’s European operations, bringing together product development, policy engagement and collaboration with sellers and partners across the continent. The company said the hub will support its distributed-first work model while…

The digital euro is not a geopolitical weapon or a reaction to recent global tensions, but a necessary update to ensure that public money remains usable in a digital economy, according to Piero Cipollone, a member of the European Central Bank Executive Board. Speaking in an interview with El País, Cipollone said the ECB is responding to structural changes in how Europeans pay, not to specific political events. The ECB, he argued, is mandated to provide a reliable means of payment and to ensure the smooth functioning of the payments system. That obligation now raises uncomfortable questions. Europe’s retail payments…

A new academic paper has delivered one of the most comprehensive critiques yet of the European Central Bank’s digital euro project, questioning whether the ECB’s own public explanations accurately reflect the risks and trade-offs of its proposed design. The study directly challenges official claims on privacy, security, and societal benefits at a moment when legislative negotiations are entering a decisive phase. The paper, titled Digital Euro: Frequently Asked Questions Revisited, examines the ECB’s official digital euro FAQ and supporting technical documents line by line. Written by researchers from universities in Germany, the Netherlands, and Switzerland, it argues that the ECB’s…

India’s central bank has proposed that BRICS countries explore linking their official digital currencies to facilitate cross-border trade and tourism payments, according to a Reuters report citing sources familiar with the discussions. The initiative, if taken forward, would place CBDC interoperability firmly on the geopolitical agenda and adds new context to Europe’s own debate over the future role of the digital euro in international payments. According to Reuters, the Reserve Bank of India has recommended that the Indian government include a proposal on connecting BRICS central bank digital currencies on the agenda of the 2026 BRICS summit, which India is…

A major U.S. cryptocurrency bill was abruptly thrown into doubt this week after opposition from Coinbase, underscoring how deeply the industry now shapes financial lawmaking in Washington. The episode offers a revealing counterpoint to Europe’s more cautious, institution-led approach to crypto regulation and the digital euro. The legislation, known as the Clarity Act, was scheduled for a key Senate Banking Committee vote after months of negotiations. It aimed to establish a comprehensive framework for digital tokens, including rules on market structure, supervision and the long-running question of whether crypto assets should fall under securities law. Instead, the vote was postponed…

A senior Chinese official once at the centre of the country’s digital currency strategy has fallen after investigators traced millions of euros’ worth of Ethereum used to conceal bribes. The case of Yao Qian, former head of the People’s Bank of China’s digital currency research institute, offers a stark reminder that blockchain-based assets can leave enduring trails, even when used for corruption. Chinese state media this week detailed how Yao, later a senior official at the China Securities Regulatory Commission, received large bribes in virtual currency while abusing his regulatory influence. The most striking transaction involved 2,000 ether received in…

A bipartisan group of US senators has introduced long-awaited legislation aimed at defining how cryptocurrency markets should be regulated, a move that could reshape global crypto oversight just as Europe presses ahead with the digital euro and MiCA implementation. The bill, unveiled on Tuesday, seeks to draw clearer boundaries between the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, assigning the CFTC a central role in overseeing most crypto spot markets. Lawmakers argue that years of regulatory uncertainty have pushed innovation offshore and left firms navigating conflicting enforcement actions. According to Reuters, the proposal is the product of…