Digital euro design at risk of prioritizing bank interests over public good, authors warn (euobserver.com)

• Four design elements critical for digital euro success: holding limits, funding, distribution, privacy
• Council text seen as most favorable to banking sector; Parliament most protective of public interest
• Authors call for phasing out holding limits and ensuring strong privacy protections

"An opinion piece by four academics warns that intense bank lobbying has weakened the public interest vision for the digital euro. They analyze the legislative texts from the European Parliament, Council, and Commission ahead of trilogue negotiations. Key contested issues include holding limits, cross-provider funding, public distribution backstops, and privacy protections. The authors argue the Council's proposals most strongly favor banking interests, risking a digital euro that fails to attract users."