🇪🇺BREAKING: ECB launches “Digital Euro” for banks as Pontes begins tokenized finance pilot. President of the European Central Bank, Christine Lagarde announces The ECB is launching Pontes today, a platform that will connect private blockchain networks with the TARGET system, allowing banks to settle tokenized assets directly in central bank money. “It's digital euro made available for banks,” the ECB says, allowing institutions to transact using tokenized assets and DLT “faster, without friction," she  adds. Pontes is the first step toward the ECB’s broader Appia ecosystem for tokenized financial markets, while consumer-facing digital euro testing is planned for mid-2027.