The digital euro ecosystem of EBF could reshape Europe’s financial landscape, impacting the crypto industry in various aspects.
The European Banking Federation (EBF) speaks for 33 national banking associations across Europe, representing over 3,500 banks. As the digital finance landscape undergoes rapid transformation, Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) are gaining momentum. Europe’s initiative to explore a digital euro is swiftly progressing, and the EBF, which represents the majority of the European banking sector, is eager to share its preliminary vision for the future digital money ecosystem.
In this ecosystem, a retail digital euro, a wholesale CBDC, and bank-issued money tokens would work together to drive innovation, cater to customer needs, and ensure Europe remains at the forefront of digital finance and the digital economy. These various initiatives would address distinct policy goals, such as supporting Europe’s strategic autonomy and the euro’s monetary anchor role, enhancing global cross-border payments, and meeting the demands of digital finance.
This article delves into the different aspects of a retail digital euro, while also outlining the fundamental principles for other elements of a digital money ecosystem.
The Retail Digital Euro
The EBF envisions a retail digital euro issued by the Eurosystem as raw material, enabling the industry to develop solutions and fully unleash its innovative potential to deliver cutting-edge, competitive payment solutions to the European market. According to EBF, to achieve this, the retail digital euro should be developed with strong market involvement through a transparent public-private partnership that ensures:
- Value creation for end-customers and the economy for both existing and innovative use cases, without undermining payment services offered by the private sector.
- Financial stability and bank funding preservation, maintaining European banks’ lending capacity to the economy.
- A solid business model that incentivizes intermediaries to provide services and innovate based on the digital euro.
- Balanced design choices that protect privacy while allowing compliance with requirements (KYC, AML, CFT) and enabling intermediaries to process customer payment data based on consent for value-added services.
- Ample opportunities for the private sector to develop solutions and services that better serve customers.
The issuance of a retail digital euro would be a significant evolution, with far-reaching implications for all economic actors and the ECB/Eurosystem.
Wholesale Digital Euro and Bank-Issued Money Tokens
In addition to the retail digital euro, the EBF also emphasizes the importance of wholesale digital euro and bank-issued money tokens. A wholesale digital euro based on Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) for the settlement of interbank transfers and related wholesale transactions in central bank reserves would support the international role of the euro and improve global cross-border payments.
Bank-issued money tokens would cater to the evolving needs of customers, such as automated industrial processes for businesses. Cooperation between the European Central Bank (ECB) and other central banks, as well as the Bank for International Settlements (BIS), will be essential for establishing international standards.
The European Banking Federation’s vision for a digital euro ecosystem showcases the potential for an integrated and cooperative financial landscape in Europe. By fostering innovation and collaboration between public and private sectors, Europe can remain at the forefront of digital finance and the digital economy, ensuring that its citizens and businesses have access to efficient, competitive, and secure payment methods.
As Europe continues to embrace digitalization and explore the potential of CBDCs, it is vital to engage in open, transparent, and ongoing dialogue among all stakeholders. This collaborative approach will help develop a robust digital euro ecosystem that not only addresses current market needs but also anticipates future developments and challenges in the rapidly evolving digital finance landscape.
Retail D€, Wholesale D€, and Banki-Issued Money Tokens. Source: EBF
Implications for the Crypto Industry
The development of a digital euro ecosystem, with the introduction of a retail digital euro, a wholesale digital euro, and bank-issued money tokens, could have significant implications for the crypto industry.
Increased Competition and Innovation
The digital euro ecosystem is likely to create competition for cryptocurrencies in terms of payment solutions, cross-border transactions, and use cases. This increased competition may drive the crypto industry to focus on innovation and differentiation to maintain its position in the market. The development of new features, use cases, and services might be accelerated, ultimately benefiting consumers and businesses alike.
Regulatory Scrutiny and Compliance
The implementation of a digital euro could lead to increased regulatory scrutiny of cryptocurrencies. As central banks and regulators look to establish a framework for the digital euro ecosystem, they might also revisit existing regulations and introduce new ones for cryptocurrencies. Crypto industry players may need to adapt to the changing regulatory landscape, ensuring compliance with know-your-customer (KYC), anti-money laundering (AML), and countering the financing of terrorism (CFT) requirements.
Interoperability and Collaboration
As the digital euro ecosystem and the crypto industry continue to evolve, there may be a need for interoperability between the two systems. Collaboration between central banks, private sector participants, and the crypto industry might be crucial in establishing seamless payment solutions and services. Developing a framework for interoperability could allow users to move funds between the digital euro and cryptocurrencies with ease, opening up new use cases and business opportunities for both ecosystems.
Public Perception and Adoption
The introduction of a digital euro may also have an impact on public perception and adoption of cryptocurrencies. As central banks and governments support the digital euro, it could gain trust and credibility, potentially leading to wider public adoption. This development may encourage crypto skeptics to reconsider the merits of digital currencies and become more open to their use. On the other hand, the digital euro could also be perceived as a safer and more stable alternative to cryptocurrencies by people unfamiliar with the latter, potentially hindering the growth of crypto adoption.
Why Crypto is Still the Better Choice
While the digital euro ecosystem holds promise, there are potential drawbacks that may lead some users to prefer cryptocurrencies. Some of the negative aspects of the digital euro ecosystem include:
- Centralization: A digital euro would still be controlled by central banks, unlike cryptocurrencies, which rely on decentralized networks. This centralization could result in concerns about government control, censorship, and potential manipulation of the currency.
- Privacy: Although the digital euro ecosystem aims to balance privacy with compliance requirements, it is likely that user transactions would be subject to scrutiny by financial authorities. In contrast, cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin offer a higher level of privacy for users.
- Innovation Limitations: The digital euro ecosystem would be developed through a public-private partnership, which may limit the pace of innovation compared to the fast-evolving world of cryptocurrencies. The crypto industry is continuously developing new protocols, platforms, and use cases at a rapid pace, driven by its decentralized nature and open-source development.
- Cross-border Transactions: While the digital euro may improve cross-border transactions within the European Union, it might not necessarily provide the same level of global reach as cryptocurrencies. Cryptocurrencies have no geographical limitations, allowing for frictionless international transactions without the need for intermediaries.
A conspiracy theory they said: “The digital digital euro will be a control mechanism for EU citizens”.
It's coming. This October.
Straight from the mouth of Lagarde.https://t.co/AW6FWlilAu pic.twitter.com/17hbvIUsd3— Mats Nilsson (@mazzenilsson) March 16, 2023
