A digital euro could deplete bank deposits by 8%, according to a Morgan Stanley report cited by Reuters.

  • The U.S. investment bank based its estimate on a scenario where all citizens in the euro region aged 15 and older transfer €3,000 ($3,600) into a European Central Bank (ECB) digital wallet, Reuters reported Tuesday.

  • Morgan Stanley says this is a "bear case", using €3,000 as an amount because it was mentioned by ECB policymakers as a theoretical cap for citizens to hold.

  • "This could theoretically reduce euro-area total deposits, defined as households' and non-financial corporations' deposits, by €873 billion [$1.06 billion], or 8%," Morgan Stanley said.

  • Smaller euro-zone countries – such as Greece, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia – would be hit the hardest. In these countries, converting €3,000 would be equivalent to 22%-51% of household deposits and 17%-30% of total deposits.

  • Like the majority of major central banks, the ECB is researching the implications of a central bank digital currency, with the threat to bank deposits often highlighted as one of the potential pitfalls. Should consumers choose to use a digital euro for everyday spending, depleted bank deposits would hamper banks' ability to lend money as loans, mortgages and so on.

  • ECB President Christine Lagarde said in March that a digital euro is likely to be launched within four years.


All writers’ opinions are their own and do not constitute financial advice in any way whatsoever. Nothing published by CoinDesk constitutes an investment recommendation, nor should any data or Content published by CoinDesk be relied upon for any investment activities. CoinDesk strongly recommends that you perform your own independent research and/or speak with a qualified investment professional before making any financial decisions.

Join Telegram

Recommended content


Recommended Content

Editors’ Picks

Ethereum dips slightly amid Renzo depeg, BlackRock spot ETH ETF amendment

Ethereum dips slightly amid Renzo depeg, BlackRock spot ETH ETF amendment

Ethereum (ETH) suffered a brief decline on Wednesday afternoon despite increased accumulation from whales. This follows Ethereum restaking protocol Renzo restaked ETH (ezETH) crashing from its 1:1 peg with ETH and increased activities surrounding spot Ethereum ETFs.

More Ethereum News

Injective price weakness persists despite over 5.9 million INJ tokens burned

Injective price weakness persists despite over 5.9 million INJ tokens burned

Injective (INJ) price is trading with a bearish bias, stuck in the lower section of the market range. The bearish outlook abounds despite the network's deflationary efforts to pump the price. Coupled with broader market gloom, INJ token’s doomed days may not be over yet.

More Injective News

US intensifies battle against crypto privacy protocols following crackdown on Samourai Wallet

US intensifies battle against crypto privacy protocols following crackdown on Samourai Wallet

CEO Keonne Rodriguez and CTO William Lonergan of Samourai Wallet were arrested by the US Department of Justice (DoJ) on Wednesday and charged with $100 million in money laundering on a count and illegal money transmitting on another count. This move could see privacy-focused cryptocurrencies take a dip.

More Cryptocurrencies News

Near Protocol Price Prediction: NEAR fulfills targets but a 10% correction may be on the horizon

Near Protocol Price Prediction: NEAR fulfills targets but a 10% correction may be on the horizon

Near Protocol price has completed a 55% mean reversal from the bottom of the market range at $4.27. Amid growing bearish activity, NEAR could drop 10% to the $6.00 psychological level before a potential recovery. A break and close above $7.95 would invalidate the downleg thesis.

More Near Protocol News

Bitcoin: BTC post-halving rally could be partially priced in Premium

Bitcoin: BTC post-halving rally could be partially priced in

Bitcoin (BTC) price briefly slipped below the $60,000 level for the last three days, attracting buyers in this area as the fourth BTC halving is due in a few hours. Is the halving priced in for Bitcoin? Or will the pioneer crypto note more gains in the coming days? 

Read full analysis

BTC

ETH

XRP