European Central Bank (ECB)
Banknotes: April to June 2026
A round-up of news and salient issues that have affected central bankers in the past three months
Euro ‘more appealing’ for both invoicing and reserves, ECB finds
Bank’s annual report on currency’s use draws on findings from Central Banking’s benchmarking
How to deal with geopolitical risks, central banking-style
Managing the fastest-rising risk category requires a combination of old and new thinking
Eurosystem to move T2 to round-the-clock operating hours
Payment systems to be available at all times as instant payments gain popularity
Behind the scenes of the Bundesbank’s capacity-building programme
A multi-year effort has helped shore up expertise at West Balkan central banks. Will African and former-CIS institutions be equally responsive to Eurosystem technical assistance?
ECB board members begin priming markets for rate hike
Schnabel “does not expect” TPI to be needed as bond selloff was driven by “inflation compensation”
Dollar smiles again, but for how long?
Twitchy investors backed the buck during Iran war, but experts are divided on whether this marks a return of the dollar smile
French lawmakers confirm Moulin as next BdF governor
Villeroy de Galhau’s successor opens door to greener policies, throws support behind digital euro
AI architecture ‘a source of financial instability’ – ECB paper
LLMs and Q-learning trading algorithms both amplify market distress, researchers find
High-value notes: default money for criminals?
Some experts say the notes are a boon for felons, and that central banks should stop issuing them
Lane and Waller: research mix is extremely valuable
Central banks’ short- and long-term studies both benefit policy-making, Fed and ECB officials say
Lagarde at G7 meeting: ‘I always worry’ about bond markets
Leaders meet to discuss Middle East conflict, global imbalances
Access to cash must be protected – Bundesbank’s Balz
Board member says digital euro is ‘no silver bullet’ in payments landscape
Busting Mythos: how Europe is responding to the latest AI model
Experts emphasise heightened importance of focusing on basics
Bulgarian lessons from entering the eurozone
Sofia’s uneasy membership in the currency bloc, five months in
People: Macron nominates ex-chief of staff to take over at BdF
Plus: BoJ appoints new head of international affairs, and MNB deputy joins EBA board
Case for euro stablecoins ‘weaker than it appears’, says Lagarde
ECB president says settlement in tokenised markets must be anchored in central bank money
Rising global imbalances will be difficult to smooth out – panel
BoE’s Alan Taylor says imbalances bring financial stability risks
Politics and finance threaten independence – Schnabel
ECB board member says fiscal woes and deregulation may make central banks’ jobs impossible
ECB holds and faces dilemma of whether to hike in June
Lagarde says direction is ‘clear’ as Iran conflict worsens outlook for inflation and growth
Former MNB chief accuses central bank of historical ‘blackmail’
Simor says lender was threatened with closer supervision because of his position on its board