News and analysis about European digital sovereignty from the perspective of payment infrastructure and the banking sector.
The European Central Bank states the digital euro will provide the maximum level of privacy for offline transactions, addressing surveillance concerns raised by regulators. The claim follows ongoing debates over privacy in central bank digital currencies. (COINDESK) ECB claims CBDC will offer 'maximum level of privacy' amid surveillance
(#source_coindesk.com)
The European Central Bank is accelerating plans to create an integrated European market for tokenised assets through its Pontes and Appia projects, aiming to reduce fragmentation in capital markets. Cipollone highlighted risks from incompatible platforms and announced Pontes will launch this year with 22.5-hour daily operations, expanding to
(#source_Cyprus-Mail)
Bulgarian AI startup DiscreteStack secures €800K in seed funding to expand its open-source AI infrastructure for regulated sectors. The technology enables businesses to run large models on standalone servers and disconnect from the internet for data control. The round was led by CleverPine Ventures with strategic investors participating. (THERECURSIVE)
(#source_The-Recursive)
The European Union examines options including the digital euro, private interoperability schemes and Brazil's PIX model to reduce reliance on US card payment networks. The initiative aims to secure payment autonomy both domestically and in cross-border transactions. (EURONEWS) Financial sovereignty, digital euro and payment roaming: EU seeks
(#source_Euronews)
European supervisory authorities call for tighter controls on artificial intelligence in financial services to address systemic risks. The proposal aims to strengthen Europe's digital sovereignty by ensuring AI systems in critical infrastructure remain secure and resilient. The initiative follows broader EU efforts to regulate AI-driven technologies across
(#source_Brussels-Times)
The enforcement era of the Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) has started after the European Supervisory Authorities published the first incident overview on 3 June 2026. National authorities are now cross-checking ICT risk management data and issuing penalties, with fines ranging up to 20 million euros or 10% of
(#source_The-Recursive)
Moody’s warns that banks’ rapid adoption of AI increases their dependence on a small group of US tech firms, exposing them to systemic risks such as outages and price increases. The financial sector faces substantial investment needs while integrating AI into operations, according to the rating agency. (GUARDIAN) AI
(#source_Guardian)
Bancomat, EPI and SIBS-MB WAY have validated cross-border QR-code mobile payment interoperability for in-store transactions. The proof of concept involved users from Italy, Portugal and other markets completing payments in each other's networks. The initiative builds on a February 2026 MoU and targets broader
(#source_thepaypers.com)
UK banks face cybersecurity risks due to restricted access to Anthropic’s AI model Mythos, a government-appointed adviser warns. The issue highlights the need for Britain to develop domestic AI capabilities and reduce reliance on US technology, Reuters reports. (REUTERS) UK banks face cybersecurity risks amid restricted access to
(#source_Cyprus-Mail)
The European Parliament has moved forward with negotiations on the digital euro, aiming to reduce reliance on US-dominated payment systems such as Visa, Mastercard, Apple Pay and Google Pay. The initiative seeks to enhance the EU's strategic autonomy in financial infrastructure, with trilogue talks expected to begin
Greece's IRIS Payments, operated by DIAS S.A. under Bank of Greece oversight, has achieved universal domestic instant payment acceptance (first in Europe) and now connects to EuroPA, the pan-European network expanding to 18 countries and 176 million users by year-end. EuroPA was founded in December
Spain's Bizum Pay entered physical shops on 18 May 2026, letting users pay by phone directly from their bank account. The service uses NFC technology to transfer money directly to merchants via instant transfer, bypassing foreign intermediaries. Spain’s Bizum heads to the high street to take on
