Fabio Panetta, head of the Financial institution of Italy and former European Central Financial institution govt, is pushing for the swift rollout of a digital euro, calling it Europe’s finest reply to rising crypto dangers and international regulatory fragmentation.
In remarks tied to the Financial institution of Italy’s newest annual report, Panetta warned that digital belongings are evolving too quick to be contained by regulation alone. Whereas praising efforts like MiCA, the EU’s crypto framework that took impact in late 2024, he stated these guidelines have had little influence on stablecoin circulation or business growth in Italy.
Panetta argued that solely a central financial institution–issued digital foreign money might provide the belief, resilience, and transparency wanted to assist digital funds in an age of globalized crypto finance. He additionally highlighted vulnerabilities created by offshore platforms, urging stronger worldwide coordination to stop European customers from being uncovered to failures overseas.
The decision comes amid rising concern in Europe over the dominance of U.S. greenback stablecoins. ECB board member Piero Cipollone has additionally flagged this pattern as a strategic threat, echoing Panetta’s name for a public digital various. In the meantime, stablecoin issuer Tether has rejected MiCA compliance, calling the framework a menace to smaller European banks.
Panetta stepped down from the ECB in late 2023 and now leads Italy’s response to the shifting international funds panorama.