European Central Bank (ECB) Executive Board member Piero Cipollone stated in an interview with Milano Finanza that a pilot program for the digital euro, involving staff from the ECB and national central banks, will launch in 2027. If the necessary regulation is approved this year, the digital euro could be rolled out as early as 2029.

Cipollone emphasized that the digital euro aims to provide a European alternative to non-European card schemes, addressing the continent's dependence on third-party payment infrastructures. He described it as a "European digital sovereignty project" designed to ensure the smooth functioning of payment systems, protect privacy, and increase competition, particularly benefiting small merchants by reducing fees. The digital euro will also support offline payments and will have limits on holdings to safeguard financial stability, though no limits on payments.