ECB TIES DIGITAL EURO TO PAYMENT SOVEREIGNTY

European Central Bank Executive Board member Piero Cipollone said two-thirds of euro-area card transactions are currently governed by non-European companies, framing the digital euro as a sovereignty project rather than a simple payment upgrade. The ECB plans to test real transactions in a pilot starting in 2027, with a possible rollout as early as 2029 if EU lawmakers pass the required legislation this year. The euro, tracked by $FXE, sits at the center of a push to loosen the bloc's reliance on outside card networks.