EU council endorses offline and online versions of digital euro

cointelegraphPublished on 2025-12-22Last updated on 2025-12-22

Abstract

The Council of the European Union has endorsed the European Central Bank’s design for a digital euro, supporting the simultaneous launch of both online and offline versions. A key feature is the offline digital euro, which aims to function like cash by allowing device-to-device transactions without internet connection and preventing user activity tracking. However, the system faces security challenges, such as vulnerability to relay attacks exploiting near-field communication (NFC). The European Data Protection Board has expressed concerns, noting that physical proximity—a core feature of cash—is difficult to enforce digitally. Both versions would store private keys in certified devices like smartphones or cards. ECB President Christine Lagarde emphasized that final approval depends on EU lawmakers.

The Council of the European Union (EU) the European Central Bank’s (ECB) digital euro design,

A Friday document outlined the council’s position on the digital euro, including alignment with the ECB on launching online and offline variants simultaneously

ECB President Christine Lagarde that t rest with EU lawmakers

“It's now for the European Council and certainly later on for the European Parliament to identify whether the Commission proposal is satisfactory, how it can be transformed into a piece of legislation or amended.”

The offline digital euro’s limitations

Documents reveal that a cash-like currency observers from linking multiple activities to the same user. The blueprint for the offline digital euro takes it up a notch by having transaction data never leave the direct participants.

The system is meant to allow authorized devices to transfer digital euro central-bank-signed tokens during in-person transactions.

tproximity requirement b. A relay attack an attacker places proxy devices near the receiving and sending devices to bridge the NFC signal over the internetwould be hard to avoi making some online non-proximity use by advanced users difficult to curtail.

An expert opinion piece by the European Data Protection Board admits that “the available countermeasures are very limited.” The document concludes that “we will not consider physical proximity as a property of cash that can be reliably enforced in a digital currency.”

Related: Crypto urges SEC to see the good in blockchain privacy tools

Private, but not like cash

The offline digital euroand the private keys used to manage would be stored in the secure elements of certified devicesmobile devices and smart cards

Related: SEC commissioner says crypto is ‘helping to nudge reassessment’ on privacy

Trending Cryptos

Related Questions

QWhat did the Council of the European Union endorse regarding the digital euro?

AThe Council of the European Union endorsed the European Central Bank's digital euro design, including the simultaneous launch of both online and offline variants.

QWhat is a key privacy feature of the offline digital euro according to the document?

AThe offline digital euro is designed so that transaction data never leaves the direct participants, preventing observers from linking multiple activities to the same user.

QWhat technological requirement is essential for conducting an offline digital euro transaction?

AOffline digital euro transactions require physical proximity between devices, as they are designed to transfer central-bank-signed tokens during in-person transactions using technologies like NFC.

QWhat is a relay attack in the context of the offline digital euro?

AA relay attack is a security threat where an attacker places proxy devices near the sending and receiving devices to bridge the NFC signal over the internet, potentially bypassing the physical proximity requirement.

QHow does the European Data Protection Board view the enforcement of physical proximity as a property of digital currency?

AThe European Data Protection Board concluded that physical proximity cannot be reliably enforced in a digital currency, stating that the available countermeasures for such attacks are very limited.

Related Reads

STRC's First Financial Report Post-Depegging, How is Strategy Restoring the Capital Flywheel?

On July 31, 2026, Bitcoin treasury company Strategy released its Q2 financial report. Despite a 6.9% year-over-year increase in revenue to $122 million, the company recorded a substantial net loss of $8.22 billion, primarily due to $8.32 billion in unrealized losses from Bitcoin holdings. While Strategy's core Bitcoin strategy remains intact—its holdings grew 11% to 843,775 BTC—the company is undergoing a fundamental shift in its capital model. Following the de-pegging of its key financing tool, the STRCoin (STRC), from its $100 target in May, Strategy has pivoted from a one-directional "raise funds, buy Bitcoin" cycle to a more dynamic, multi-asset capital management approach. A key part of this new framework is the "Monetization Program," through which Strategy has sold approximately $218.4 million worth of BTC to bolster liquidity. The company's top priority is repairing STRC's peg, committing not to issue discounted shares until it returns to its target range. It has initiated a $1 billion buyback program for discounted digital credit securities, having repurchased $28.9 million face value of STRC so far. Management aims to restore the peg around September 8, 2026. Strategy now actively manages a matrix of assets: Bitcoin (for accumulation or strategic sales), USD cash reserves (now at $3.75 billion), common stock (MSTR), and digital credit securities like STRC. This allows for tactical moves like repurchasing discounted debt or equity to capture value. The future success of Strategy's "capital flywheel" hinges on two factors: the short-term ability to successfully re-peg STRC to restore market confidence in its digital credit system, and the long-term price trajectory of Bitcoin, upon which its entire investment thesis ultimately depends.

Odaily星球日报5m ago

STRC's First Financial Report Post-Depegging, How is Strategy Restoring the Capital Flywheel?

Odaily星球日报5m ago

With Two Consecutive Quarters of Losses, Coinbase Must Rely on Paths Beyond Trading

Coinbase posted its second consecutive quarterly net loss of $359 million on $1.22 billion in revenue for Q2, highlighting its vulnerability to crypto market cycles where weaker prices and lower volatility reduce user trading. However, the report also reveals a strategic shift in its business model. Despite a 25% quarter-over-quarter decline in global spot trading volume, Coinbase increased its market share to a company-record 10.3%. This suggests its position as a compliant U.S. on-ramp is strengthening even in a cooler market. A key development is the diversification of revenue streams. Transaction revenue fell to $599 million, nearly equaling subscription and services revenue of $555 million. Stablecoin services, generating $292 million, are becoming a crucial revenue "floor." This income, derived from interest on the $20 billion average USDC balance held on its platform, is less tied to daily trading activity. Furthermore, while spot trading volume dropped significantly, derivatives volume held steady at $1.03 trillion. Coinbase is pushing to integrate spot, stablecoin, and derivatives liquidity to create a more interconnected and sticky ecosystem for users. The GAAP net loss includes non-cash expenses like stock-based compensation and crypto asset valuation changes. Its adjusted EBITDA remained positive at $208 million for the 14th straight quarter, indicating core operations can cover ongoing costs. The company is also reducing expenses to manage the downturn. The central question moving forward is whether Coinbase's growing market share, stablecoin revenues, and expanding product integration can sufficiently offset the inherent cyclicality of its core trading business during future market contractions.

marsbit20m ago

With Two Consecutive Quarters of Losses, Coinbase Must Rely on Paths Beyond Trading

marsbit20m ago

In the Age of Artificial Intelligence, We Need 'Magicians,' Not 'Managers'

In the AI era, leadership must shift from management to magic. As knowledge rapidly expires, value shifts from what leaders know to what they can facilitate. Traditional "inside-out" management, driven by internal experience, is giving way to "outside-in" thinking focused on external opportunities, customer needs, and disruptive change. The core challenge is fostering new ideas that may invalidate existing knowledge. While technologies like steam, electricity, and AI provide the "skeleton" for innovation, it is human vision—connecting technology to customer dreams—that creates magic. Historical figures like Richard Arkwright and Eldridge R. Johnson succeeded not by inventing core technologies, but by reimagining work and business models from the outside in. Leaders must transition from controllers to "architects of flourishing." Their role is to design environments where empowerment, creativity, and adaptive learning thrive. This involves granting autonomy, fostering partnerships, and building resilient systems that scale innovation. Critical leadership qualities now include judgment, creativity, and the ability to learn continuously rather than relying on static expertise. Therefore, cultivating future leaders requires a focus on timeless fundamentals, humanities for broader perspective, and social acuity, rather than over-specialization in quickly outdated technical skills. The future rewards those who respond to the unseen and create conditions for better answers to emerge. Leadership in the AI age is less about having all the answers and more about enabling others to discover them—creating organizations where people explore, imagine, and thrive.

marsbit55m ago

In the Age of Artificial Intelligence, We Need 'Magicians,' Not 'Managers'

marsbit55m ago

Trading

Spot

Hot Articles

Discussions

Welcome to the HTX Community. Here, you can stay informed about the latest platform developments and gain access to professional market insights. Users' opinions on the price of S (S) are presented below.

活动图片