The digital euro is an official electronic currency issued by the European Central Bank - euros in a phone app. Behind it stands a state, not a private company.
Checked on16 August 2026
The digital euro (officially: digital euro) is a type of CBDC - central bank digital currency: official electronic money issued directly by the European Central Bank and distributed through ordinary banks. Unlike the money in your bank account, backed by a private bank, the digital euro is backed by the central bank - just like the cash in your pocket. It's designed to work offline too, between people and in online commerce.
How it differs from a stablecoin: a stablecoin is private - pegged to a currency, but issued by a company. The digital euro is public - it is the currency itself. The two are fighting for the same spot, the way you pay electronically, but one is public, the other private.
Why it's being built at all: a large share of card payments in Europe pass through non-European companies. The digital euro is an attempt to move that flow onto its own, public infrastructure. For Bulgaria, which adopted the euro in 2026, this is a local topic - the BNB is part of the system that will issue it.
The visual is generated code art. No third-party images.