PANews reported on December 19th, citing CoinDesk, that European Central Bank (ECB) President Christine Lagarde stated at the ECB's final press conference of the year on Thursday that the ECB has completed the technical and preparatory work for the digital euro, and now it's time for political institutions to take action. The project aims to create a public digital means of payment and is currently under review by the European Council and the European Parliament. Lagarde pointed out that the digital euro is a strategic priority for the future of European finance. She stated, "Our goal is to ensure that in the digital age, there is a currency that can serve as an anchor for the stability of the financial system." The ECB also called on EU institutions to act swiftly to pass regulations related to the digital euro. The digital euro is expected to launch in the second half of 2026, a timeline consistent with other euro-backed stablecoin initiatives regulated by the European Crypto Asset Markets Regulation (MiCA).