ECB: stablecoins and tokenized deposits must use central bank currency as settlement anchor

According to market news, European Central Bank Executive Committee member Piero Cipollone said in a speech in Brussels on Monday that if European tokenized financial markets are to achieve scale, stablecoins and tokenized deposits must use tokenized central bank currency as public settlement anchor. He pointed out that Pontes, the euro system's DLT settlement project, is expected to be initially launched in the third quarter of 2026, allowing market participants to settle DLT transactions in the central bank's currency. In addition, the ECB's Appia plan aims to build a blueprint for a European tokenized financial ecosystem by 2028 and calls on all parties to submit feedback. Chipolon also warned that if Europe lacks a unified legal framework for tokenization, it will face the risk of "building advanced settlement infrastructure based on fragmented regulations."