Italian banks are in favor of the ECB’s digital euro initiative, but want implementation costs spread out over several years. This comes as 137 countries explore CBDCs, with the ECB setting a target launch for 2029. European Parliament member calls for a scaled-down version to protect private payment systems.

The ECB has signed deals with seven tech firms to support digital euro development. Agreements cover fraud and risk management, secure payment data exchange, and software development. Firms like Feedzai and G+D will work on features such as “alias lookup” and offline payment capabilities.

Read more at Cointelegraph: Italian Banks Back Digital Euro, Urge ECB to Stagger Implementation Costs