The ECB kisses the blockchain to modernize its payments

The European Central Bank is launching a major technological change. The Board of Directors has just approved two large -scale projects aimed at integrating blockchain technology into the Euros transactions settlement system. Strategic progress marking a turning point in the modernization of European Union financial infrastructure.

The ECB launches its blockchain offensive with Ponte and Appia projects

On July 1, 2025, the European Central Bank announced that it had approved two series of strategic work to integrate the technology of the large distributed book (DLT) in the payment regulations.

These initiatives aim to connect current Eurosystems infrastructure to web3 innovations while maintaining a central currency control.

The first project, named “Pontes”, will be launched in the pilot phase by the third quarter of 2026. It will connect the DLT platforms (such as those used in decentralized finance or the tokenization of assets) to the target services, which currently manage interban regulations and securities in Europe. The objective: do not let these platforms develop in silos, but to integrate them into the European ecosystem.

In the longer term, the “APPIA” project will explore the means to make this technology compatible with global cross -border flows, potentially open up to other currencies and financial infrastructure. It is a prudent but strategic approach, where Europe seeks not to repeat past errors concerning digital technology.

This announcement follows a test phase made between May and November 2024, the report published on Tuesday highlighting the advantages of the DLT: cost reduction, limitation of regulation risks and increased effectiveness of fund transfers.

Strategic response to the hegemony of American stablecoins?

Although this leadership seems mainly technocratic, it is actually part of a global monetary battle.

While the United States quickly moved to the regulation of Stablescoin (with the support of Congress and the Fed), the Banque de France issues multiple warnings.

Risk? The privatization of money by American giants such as Circle (USDC) or Tether (USDT), which together represent more than $ 215 billion.

In this context, the choice of the ECB to bet on a public infrastructure compatible with the DLT can be considered as an indirect counter-attack. Rather than blocking or prohibiting stablescoins, Europe seeks to offer a technological and regulatory alternative, thanks to the digital euro and the controlled integration of blockchain in its settlement processes.

This would allow Europe to maintain its monetary autonomy while equipping itself with competitive tools against programmable and instant finances developing across the Atlantic. And this choice is crucial: according to some studies, 66% of card payments in the euro zone now depend on non -European infrastructure.

Faced with a global finance in full mutation, the ECB finally takes the blockchain turn. The “pundits” and “Appia” are not simply technical projects: they embody a strategic vision to prevent Europe from becoming a simple spectator in the cryptographic revolution. The question remains whether this ambition will convince the markets … before the stablecoins take over.

Fenelon L.

Passionate about Bitcoin, I like to explore the meanders of blockchain and cryptos and share my discoveries with the community. My dream is from Vive Danans a world where private life and financial freedom are guaranteed for everyone, and I closely believe that Bitcoin is the oustil that can make it possible.

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