A senior European Central Bank (ECB) executive has warned that the digital-euro project could be undermined if other payment providers build competing tokenized payment rails before the central bank launches its own pan-European solution. In remarks delivered on an MNI Connect Webcast, ECB executive board member Piero Cipollone argued that the absence of a widely interoperable digital euro risks intensifying fragmentation across tokenization platforms—potentially weakening Europe’s “resilience and monetary sovereignty.” While the ECB has not yet decided whether to issue a digital euro, Cipollone said the central bank intends to wrap up the legislative process by the end of 2026. He also described a possible timeline that would include a 12-month pilot starting in the second half of 2027, with the possibility of issuance in 2029. Key takeaways Cipollone warned that without a pan-European digital payment option, tokenized payment systems may fragment across platforms. The ECB has not...
Ondo Finance has expanded its tokenization business by launching blockchain-based notes linked to private companies. The first product will track a major pre-IPO artificial intelligence company and begin secondary trading this week. Eligible participants outside the United States can access the product through Ondo Private Markets. Ondo Private Markets Opens With Pre-IPO Ai Exposure Ondo Private Markets gives eligible participants economic exposure to privately held companies through tokenized financial notes. The initial product tracks the share value of a leading private artificial intelligence company before any public listing. However, holding the note does not provide ownership rights or direct shares in the underlying company. Instead, the product follows changes in the company’s share value during qualifying liquidity events. Therefore, holders gain financial exposure without receiving voting rights or other benefits available to company shareholders. This structure allows Ondo ...