Our payment habits are changing. With digital payments on the rise, we need to preserve people’s freedom to choose how to pay: there’s cash, card, online transfers – and soon, we could have a digital euro.
But what is the digital euro, and how will it work? Will it replace cash? Concerns about data security and government control have sparked debate around the digital euro, often fuelled by disinformation.
We separate fact from fiction as our host Stefania Secola teams up with Aidas Palubinskas from EU Finance Podcast to speak to Executive Board member Piero Cipollone about modernising our money.
The views expressed are those of the speakers and not necessarily those of the European Central Bank.
Recorded on 4 November 2025 and published on 13 November 2025.
In this episode:
02:18 The digital what?
What is the digital euro, and how will it work in practice? Don’t we already pay digitally?
13:48 What will happen to cash?
Would introducing the digital euro mean the end of cash? And could it take away business from banks and other financial service providers?
16:25 How secure would the digital euro be really?
What about hackers? Will our money be safe, and will the digital euro affect the integrity of the payments system?
19:31 Did someone say Big Brother?
Will central banks, governments and other authorities have access to our data ? How private will our payments really be?
24:52 When will we have a digital euro?
Where are we in the process and what are the next steps? How are EU institutions like the European Commission and the European Parliament involved in the digital euro project?
29:17 Our guests’ hot tips
Piero Cipollone shares his hot tip.
EU Finance Podcast – the future of finance
https://finance.ec.europa.eu/eu-finance-podcast-future-finance_en
Digital euro
https://www.ecb.europa.eu/euro/digital_euro/html/index.en.html
President Lagarde explains the next digital euro phase
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DQd60z9jfjV/?igsh=MTV2OW4zNXp5cHJvNA==
The ECB Podcast: The digital euro, demystified https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/tvservices/podcast/html/ecb.pod231024_episode71.en.html
Press release: Eurosystem moving to next phase of digital euro project, 30 October 2025
https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/pr/date/2025/html/ecb.pr251030~8c5b5beef0.en.html
The ECB Blog: Making euro cash fit for the future https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/blog/date/2025/html/ecb.blog20250804~9d3993abe0.en.html
Fit of the digital euro in the payment ecosystem https://www.ecb.europa.eu/euro/digital_euro/timeline/profuse/shared/pdf/ecb.deprep251030_digital_euro_fit_payment_ecosystem_report.en.pdf
All content for The ECB Podcast is the property of European Central Bank and is served directly from their servers
with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.
Our payment habits are changing. With digital payments on the rise, we need to preserve people’s freedom to choose how to pay: there’s cash, card, online transfers – and soon, we could have a digital euro.
But what is the digital euro, and how will it work? Will it replace cash? Concerns about data security and government control have sparked debate around the digital euro, often fuelled by disinformation.
We separate fact from fiction as our host Stefania Secola teams up with Aidas Palubinskas from EU Finance Podcast to speak to Executive Board member Piero Cipollone about modernising our money.
The views expressed are those of the speakers and not necessarily those of the European Central Bank.
Recorded on 4 November 2025 and published on 13 November 2025.
In this episode:
02:18 The digital what?
What is the digital euro, and how will it work in practice? Don’t we already pay digitally?
13:48 What will happen to cash?
Would introducing the digital euro mean the end of cash? And could it take away business from banks and other financial service providers?
16:25 How secure would the digital euro be really?
What about hackers? Will our money be safe, and will the digital euro affect the integrity of the payments system?
19:31 Did someone say Big Brother?
Will central banks, governments and other authorities have access to our data ? How private will our payments really be?
24:52 When will we have a digital euro?
Where are we in the process and what are the next steps? How are EU institutions like the European Commission and the European Parliament involved in the digital euro project?
29:17 Our guests’ hot tips
Piero Cipollone shares his hot tip.
EU Finance Podcast – the future of finance
https://finance.ec.europa.eu/eu-finance-podcast-future-finance_en
Digital euro
https://www.ecb.europa.eu/euro/digital_euro/html/index.en.html
President Lagarde explains the next digital euro phase
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DQd60z9jfjV/?igsh=MTV2OW4zNXp5cHJvNA==
The ECB Podcast: The digital euro, demystified https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/tvservices/podcast/html/ecb.pod231024_episode71.en.html
Press release: Eurosystem moving to next phase of digital euro project, 30 October 2025
https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/pr/date/2025/html/ecb.pr251030~8c5b5beef0.en.html
The ECB Blog: Making euro cash fit for the future https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/blog/date/2025/html/ecb.blog20250804~9d3993abe0.en.html
Fit of the digital euro in the payment ecosystem https://www.ecb.europa.eu/euro/digital_euro/timeline/profuse/shared/pdf/ecb.deprep251030_digital_euro_fit_payment_ecosystem_report.en.pdf
The verdict on climate change is bleaker than ever before.
The remaining carbon budget to limit global warming to 1.5°C is rapidly shrinking – equivalent to just three years of emissions at current rates.
What is the scientific framework known as planetary boundaries? What’s science telling us about the economic impact of climate change? And how is the ECB addressing climate and nature-related risks?
Our host Paul Gordon speaks to Johan Rockström, Director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, and Irene Heemskerk, head of the ECB’s climate change centre, to find out why.
The views expressed are those of the speakers and not necessarily those of the European Central Bank.
Recorded on 8 October 2025 and published on 14 October 2025.
In this episode:
01:48 Where do we stand in the fight against climate change?
What is science telling us? What could get us back on track?
05:58 Is climate change attracting enough attention?
Is it being overshadowed by other challenges, like the war in Ukraine or geopolitical fragmentation? How is climate change connected to the economy? And what level of risk are we facing?
10:30 What are planetary boundaries?
What is the planetary boundaries framework?
14:50 The phases of climate change
How has global warming evolved over time? Are we heading for disaster? Is the 1.5°C threshold a goal or a limit?
19:15 Why is our economy dependent on climate change?
Why do climate insights matter to the work of a central bank? How does the ECB take climate change into account? What risks does climate change pose to our primary mandate, price stability? And is it too late for us to take action?
23:03 What is the “right pace” for transitioning to a carbon-neutral economy?
How can we balance the need for rapid change with economic interests ?
26:15 Does every step matter?
What’s needed for an orderly transition? What progress has been made in recent years, and what decisions could accelerate it further?
31:55 Our guests’ hot tips
Johan and Irene share their hot tips.
Johan’s hot tip: The EAT-Lancet Commission on healthy, sustainable, and just food systems (published on 2 October 2025)
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(25)01201-2/abstract
TED Talks by Johan Rockström
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgqtrlixYR4 (2010)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rv-tDrv__mc (2018)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Sl28fkrozE (2020)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vl6VhCAeEfQ (2024)
Climate change and the ECB
https://www.ecb.europa.eu/ecb/climate/html/index.en.html
The ECB Podcast: The ECB’s climate and nature plan: our path to a greener future
https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/tvservices/podcast/html/ecb.pod240125_episode78.en.html
The tipping points of climate change – and where we stand https://www.ted.com/talks/johan_rockstrom_the_tipping_points_of_climate_change_and_where_we_stand?subtitle=en&geo=de
ECB Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/europeancentralbank/
The ECB Podcast
Our payment habits are changing. With digital payments on the rise, we need to preserve people’s freedom to choose how to pay: there’s cash, card, online transfers – and soon, we could have a digital euro.
But what is the digital euro, and how will it work? Will it replace cash? Concerns about data security and government control have sparked debate around the digital euro, often fuelled by disinformation.
We separate fact from fiction as our host Stefania Secola teams up with Aidas Palubinskas from EU Finance Podcast to speak to Executive Board member Piero Cipollone about modernising our money.
The views expressed are those of the speakers and not necessarily those of the European Central Bank.
Recorded on 4 November 2025 and published on 13 November 2025.
In this episode:
02:18 The digital what?
What is the digital euro, and how will it work in practice? Don’t we already pay digitally?
13:48 What will happen to cash?
Would introducing the digital euro mean the end of cash? And could it take away business from banks and other financial service providers?
16:25 How secure would the digital euro be really?
What about hackers? Will our money be safe, and will the digital euro affect the integrity of the payments system?
19:31 Did someone say Big Brother?
Will central banks, governments and other authorities have access to our data ? How private will our payments really be?
24:52 When will we have a digital euro?
Where are we in the process and what are the next steps? How are EU institutions like the European Commission and the European Parliament involved in the digital euro project?
29:17 Our guests’ hot tips
Piero Cipollone shares his hot tip.
EU Finance Podcast – the future of finance
https://finance.ec.europa.eu/eu-finance-podcast-future-finance_en
Digital euro
https://www.ecb.europa.eu/euro/digital_euro/html/index.en.html
President Lagarde explains the next digital euro phase
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DQd60z9jfjV/?igsh=MTV2OW4zNXp5cHJvNA==
The ECB Podcast: The digital euro, demystified https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/tvservices/podcast/html/ecb.pod231024_episode71.en.html
Press release: Eurosystem moving to next phase of digital euro project, 30 October 2025
https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/pr/date/2025/html/ecb.pr251030~8c5b5beef0.en.html
The ECB Blog: Making euro cash fit for the future https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/blog/date/2025/html/ecb.blog20250804~9d3993abe0.en.html
Fit of the digital euro in the payment ecosystem https://www.ecb.europa.eu/euro/digital_euro/timeline/profuse/shared/pdf/ecb.deprep251030_digital_euro_fit_payment_ecosystem_report.en.pdf
