Europe advances digital euro, tokenised settlement and cross-border payment links
• Digital euro pilot planned for H2 2027; 36 payment providers selected for a 12-month test
• First issuance targeted for 2029, conditional on legislation concluding by end-2026
• Pontes settled a €1bn tokenised bond transaction; services aim for 24/7/365 by 2028
• Appia aims to deliver a blueprint for an integrated tokenised-finance ecosystem in 2028
• New euro banknote design decision expected around year-end; gradual circulation from early 2030s