I guess there are no days off. The latest in ECB CBDC marketing is a Christmas post from president Christine Lagarde.

To be honest, I would have preferred coal, but here we are... so let me put down the eggnog and break down what's happening here.

As she noted, the EU Governing Council has given the green light for the digital euro (the ECB's CBDC). In short, the Council said that the digital euro should work both online and offline, have holding limits, allow a "high degree of privacy" while still being AML/KYC compliant, and be free for consumers to use.

This green light from the council does not mean, however, that the digital euro will be launched. Now it's up to the European Parliament to weigh in.

Sadly, though, this process might appear democratic from the outside, but it's really just a formality. It's unlikely that Parliament will alter the course.

As nostr:nprofile1qy2hwumn8ghj7etyv4hzumn0wd68ytnvv9hxgqgdwaehxw309ahx7uewd3hkcqpqdg6es53r3hys9tk3n7aldgz4lx4ly8qu4zg468zwyl6smuhjjrvsm58xhx noted on X, the ECB is just waiting for the Parliament's rubber stamp to move forward.

As CBDC marketing ramps up, it's important to be vigiliant (even on holidays).

As I've noted repeatedly, the ECB's marketing campaign borders on false advertising when it comes to claims about competition and freedom.