FAQs on the digital euro Updated on 17 August 2026

Q1. Why does Europe need the digital euro? In a world where digital payments are rapidly becoming the norm, the use of cash is declining and the shift towards online shopping is accelerating. The digital euro would be a digital form of cash, giving consumers access to central bank money in digital form, complementing banknotes and coins. The digital euro would make people’s lives easier by providing something that does not currently exist: a digital means of payment universally accepted throughout the euro area, for payments in shops, online or from person to person. Like cash, the digital euro would...