ChainCatcher reports, citing Cointelegraph, that European Central Bank Executive Board member Piero Cipollone said the digital euro could help the EU build an autonomous and controllable payment infrastructure, reducing its reliance on non-European third-party payment providers. Europe has already recognized the risks of excessive dependence on external forces in key areas such as energy and defense, and the same applies to payments. However, payment sovereignty does not mean excluding third parties; it means giving Europe the autonomy to choose providers for critical services.

The European Central Bank plans to launch a digital euro pilot next year and test it using real transactions. It is currently working with 36 market operators to prepare, while also inviting e-commerce and mobile commerce operators to participate.