- Christine Lagarde announced the potential launch of the Digital Euro (CBDC) in October 2025
- The implementation depends on the approval of the European Commission, Parliament, and Council
- European public is not involved in the decision, although it is probably CBDC with tight control
- This is likely the opposition to Bitcoin, and US payment systems (like Apple Pay, Google Pay
- This is driven by Trump’s decisions and aims to boost Europe’s defense industry
Christine Lagarde announced the potential launch of Digital Euro in October 2025, which despite trying to call it Digital Cash, is likely to be a CBDC with tight controls and freedom limitations. It is largely a reaction to Trump’s hardline policies and will be an attempt to gain independence from decentralized Bitcoin, as well as US payment systems like Apple Pay, and Google Pay. Also, it is likely a part of the “Savings and Investments Union,” proposing to mobilize €10 trillion of citizens’ private savings to fund the military industry as well as the “ReArm Europe” program aimed at creating an EU army, which will require €800 billion in funding.
Europe’s Pivot Towards CBDC, Attempts to Reinvest in Industry and Defense
So, we see a possible fundamental shift in European policy affecting all key areas of the economy, down to the defense industry and political and monetary autonomy.
Thus, Christine Lagarde announced the potential launch of the Digital Euro in October 2025, which aims to give Europe independence from US payment systems like Apple Pay, and Google Pay, but also to maintain control and sustainability of the EU financial system. This is why it is also a response to the adoption of Bitcoin in the US, and the unwillingness to make it the center of the economy, despite its decentralized nature.
Although it is worth noting that it is likely that Digital Euro will use Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) systems, and there is already testing of technical aspects related to this and 64 financial institutions, 50+ experiments have been conducted. But still, it’s more likely to be CBDC, from all specs, despite Christine Lagarde’s insistence on using the more abstract term Digital Cash and ECB continues campaigning for the digital Euro, a centralized European payment mechanism.
Of course, this is still just an initiative and it will have to be approved by the European Commission, Parliament, and Council, but the important thing is that despite low public interest, the EU will continue to implement CBDC and it will not require European public approval. This makes it even more like CBDC, and we have already heard loud voices clearly opposing it as a method of restricting the freedoms and privacy of citizens because CBDC has programmability features including expiration dates, geofencing and other control mechanisms.
For example, MEP Sarah Knafo called on the EU to abandon the digital euro and create a strategic Bitcoin reserve, thereby moving away from the totalitarian temptations of the European central bank, from national sovereignty-violating organizations like the International Monetary Fund, from central bank digital currencies that will control every aspect of citizens’ lives including EC citizens, from slowing down the development of taxes and controlling cryptocurrency and crypto enthusiasts.
An important addition to this is that Christine Lagarde has proposed the concept of a “Savings and Investments Union,” proposing to mobilize €10 trillion of citizens’ private savings to finance the military industry, which raises concerns about property rights infringement. Whether this is directly related to the Digital Euro initiative is not yet clear, but its implementation could make this realization of this concept much easier, just in one click.
It is worth noting that this concept also echoes Ursula von der Leyen’s “ReArm Europe” program aimed at creating an EU army, which will require €800 billion in funding, and is a response to not financial but military threats that depend on the decision of the United States, the latter of which in the person of Donald Trump shakes Europe almost every week.
Conclusion
Whether this initiative will pass or not is still a big question, it may cause resistance at many stages such as the European Commission, Parliament, and Council, and even though the citizens have not been asked, they may see it as a threat and not allow it to happen.
But on the other hand, there are reasons to think that these initiatives will continue to be pushed, because the reasons that led to this, such as the threat from Russia, pressure from the U.S. in the form of Donald Trump and the declining role of Europe in the global economic arena are unlikely to go away anytime soon.
However, there may be good news for some, as Bitcoin may then gain even more importance and priority among European citizens, potentially increasing demand and driving up the price.
Critical news potentially changing the very foundation of the European monetary system – we will be watching this as closely as we do key decisions in the US financial system and the upcoming results of the March FOMC meeting. Stay tuned for updates and be adaptive in the rapidly evolving political, financial, and crypto landscape.
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