Lagarde: The Eurozone economy is resilient, and the digital euro is about to be launched

European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde stated that the 3.8% inflation rate in the Eurozone for September primarily reflects high energy costs, and the European Central Bank expects some relief next year. She pointed out that energy shocks are expected to keep Eurozone inflation above the central bank's target in the first half of 2027, but it is still appropriate to adopt a cautious policy response at this time. This statement was made on Saturday during the International Monetary Fund annual meeting.

Lagarde also mentioned that the European Central Bank is designing a digital euro. She stated that in the retail payments sector, the European Central Bank is preparing to supplement cash in digital form by launching a digital euro for everyday payments. The digital euro will further stimulate innovation and competition in the retail payments sector, ensuring the continued coexistence of public and private solutions, thereby supporting Europe's strategic autonomy in the payments field.

Previously, Cointelegraph reported on September 21 that the European Central Bank had launched the Pontes system, allowing financial institutions to settle wholesale tokenized asset transactions in central bank currency, providing an alternative for private settlement assets such as stablecoins. The system initially offers a set of core services, with full implementation expected by 2028.