In short
The digital euro (officially: digital euro) is a type of CBDC - central bank digital currency: official electronic money issued directly by the European Central Bank and distributed through ordinary banks. Unlike the money in your bank account, backed by a private bank, the digital euro is backed by the central bank - just like the cash in your pocket. It's designed to work offline too, between people and in online commerce.
How it differs from a stablecoin: a stablecoin is private - pegged to a currency, but issued by a company. The digital euro is public - it is the currency itself. The two are fighting for the same spot, the way you pay electronically, but one is public, the other private.
Why it's being built at all: a large share of card payments in Europe pass through non-European companies. The digital euro is an attempt to move that flow onto its own, public infrastructure. For Bulgaria, which adopted the euro in 2026, this is a local topic - the BNB is part of the system that will issue it.
Before the digital euro pilot the president of the ECB will be someone else. On October 29, 2026 Christine Lagarde informed the Governing Council and the President of the European Council, António Costa, that she will step down on 7 February 2027. Her successor will be appointed by the European Council under the procedure in Article 283 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU. The ECB gives no reason.
Primary sources
ECB: Digital euro (the project's official page)ECB: Lagarde to step down on 7 February 2027 (29.10.2026)The visual is generated code-art, no third-party images.