Bank of Spain recommends keeping 70-100 euros in cash for emergencies after 2025 blackout (xataka.com)

• Bank of Spain recommends 70-100 euros cash per person after digital payment failures from April 2025 blackout and Redsys outages
• Sweden, Hungary, Belgium, and Switzerland tighten cash access laws; Austria and Finland already recommend similar cash reserves
• Spanish cash holdings average 45 euros; ATM count dropped 18% in two years

"Following a nationwide blackout in April 2025 that disabled digital payments and subsequent failures of the Redsys card processing system, the Bank of Spain advises keeping 70-100 euros in cash per person at home. This aligns with recommendations from other European central banks. Sweden, Belgium, Hungary, and Switzerland are strengthening cash access through laws or constitutional amendments. In Spain, ATM access has declined by 18% over two years (8,000 machines lost), and the average cash holding is only 45 euros per person."