Bank of Spain14 October 2026Entrevista

Interview with the Director General of Operations, Markets and Payment Systems in Última Hora

The Neural Herald summary, AI-generated

In an interview with Última Hora, Juan Ayuso, the Bank of Spain's Director General of Operations, Markets and Payment Systems, expects the digital euro could be operational during 2029 if legislation progresses as expected. He presents it as a complement to cash and a guarantee of European payment sovereignty vis-à-vis foreign card schemes and stablecoins.

Key points

The offline version will allow virtually anonymous payments and will work during a power outage.
In the online version, central banks will not be able to identify payers or payees.
He defends cash on grounds of financial inclusion, resilience and avoiding monopolies.

Who is affected

Citizens, retailers, financial institutions and payment providers.

Deadlines

Digital euro launch expected during 2029.

Plain-language version

A Bank of Spain official believes the digital euro, a digital version of banknotes issued by the central bank, could be up and running in 2029. An offline version would be almost anonymous and work even in a blackout. The aim is not to rely on foreign card companies or stablecoins, cryptocurrencies pegged to a currency.

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Interview with the Director General of Operations, Markets and Payment Systems in Última Hora

Key points

Who is affected

Deadlines

Plain-language version

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