Offline Payments and Other Problems of the Digital Euro
Ganbara – Close-up
Economy
MIRIAM DUKE | EITB MEDIUM
Nico Cuenca, economist and coordinator of Enpresa Bidea, a Basque-language newspaper on the digital economy, explains our doubts about the currency that will reach our virtual wallets in 2026.
The world is changing rapidly, as are the methods of payment. Cash was replaced by plastic, card payments, then came mobile payments, digital wallets and cryptocurrencies, although they still raise many doubts.
And digital currencies, such as the digital euro, are also emerging in this ecosystem, which could become a reality as early as 2026. The European Central Bank is working on this, and we want to talk about it in Ganbara de Cerca with Nico Cuenca, economist and coordinator. Enpresa Bidea. Payments will be made digitally from person to person (like bizum, but without going through a bank), and strong security mechanisms are being created to protect our data and prevent fraud. Another of the issues, which is the most difficult to define, is the offline payment process, which will allow us to pay with these digital euros even in cases where we do not have coverage.