The Baltic Digital Euro Conference “Diving Into the Digital Euro” aims to raise awareness and foster informed dialogue on how the digital euro could fit into the broader European financial ecosystem. The conference is hosted and organised by Lietuvos bankas in cooperation with Eesti Pank and Latvijas Banka.
- Date: 1 October 2026, from 9:00 to 16:00
- Place: Conference Hall S14 (Saltoniškių St. 14, Vilnius, Lithuania)
- Registration for onsite participation
- The conference will also be livestreamed
- Language: English
As payments become increasingly digital, fast, and platform-based, Europe faces new challenges: ensuring resilience in times of disruption, reducing reliance on external providers, and enabling solutions that work seamlessly across borders. The digital euro is being developed as part of the response to these issues, and has been designed to integrate with existing payment systems while supporting a more robust, competitive, and innovative European landscape.
The conference aims to provide a practical and forward-looking view of how the digital euro could help build a more resilient, integrated, and innovative payments ecosystem in Europe.
The opening remarks will be delivered by Paulius Saudargas, Member of the European Parliament, and the opening keynote will come from Evelien Witlox, Director Digital Euro at the European Central Bank.
The conference will convene stakeholders from both the public and private sectors, with a special emphasis on the Baltic States. Participants will include Members of the European Parliament and representatives of the European Central Bank, national central banks, financial intermediaries, fintech firms, and other relevant organisations and associations.
Agenda
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8:30–9:00 |
Registration and Welcome Coffee |
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9:00–9:10 |
Welcome address
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| 9:10–9:30 |
Opening remarks: “Why the Digital Euro Matters for Europe”
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| 9:30–10:00 |
Opening keynote: “What the Digital Euro Is and What It Is Not”
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| 10:00–11:00 | Panel 1: How We Pay in the Baltics and Why the Digital Euro Matters |
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The Baltic countries are among Europe’s most digitalised payment markets. People and businesses rely heavily on cards, mobile payments, and instant transfers, while the use of cash continues to decline. This shift brings clear benefits – speed, convenience, and innovation – but it also raises important questions for central banks. As payments increasingly depend on private and often international providers, how do we ensure that Europe’s payment system remains resilient, well-integrated, and underpinned by public money? The digital euro would help to ensure that central bank money remains available in the digital age, while strengthening trust, resilience, and Europe’s monetary sovereignty. This panel will use the experience of the Baltics as a real-life case study to discuss whether a digital euro is needed and consider what role it could play.
Moderator: Evaldas Ruzgys, Member of the Board of Lietuvos bankas Panellists:
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11:00–11:20 |
Coffee Break |
| 11:20–12:20 | Panel 2: How the Digital Euro Could Fit into the Payments Ecosystem |
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The key question is not whether the digital euro replaces existing solutions, but how it integrates with them. Its design – including common standards, interoperability, and distribution through intermediaries – will determine whether it strengthens the overall system. From a central bank perspective, the objective is clear: to ensure that the digital euro complements private solutions, supports a more integrated European payments market, and enhances resilience, while remaining easy to use for citizens and businesses.
Moderator: Paulius Antonovas, Director of the Market Infrastructure Department at Lietuvos bankas Panellists:
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12:20–13:30 |
Lunch |
| 13:30–14:30 | Panel 3: The Digital Euro Ecosystem – the Role of Stakeholders |
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Rather than replacing current solutions, the digital euro is intended to work through established intermediaries, connect with existing payment methods, and support a more integrated European market. This means that each stakeholder will have a role to play – in distribution, user experience, acceptance, and infrastructure. At the same time, it raises important questions about responsibilities, incentives, and the balance between public and private actors. This panel will explore how different stakeholders see their place in the future digital euro ecosystem, and what is needed to make that ecosystem work in practice in a way that supports resilience, integration, and trust.
Moderator: Sebastian Siepen, PSP, Merchant & Consumer Rollout Lead at the European Central Bank Panellists:
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| 14:30–14:50 | Coffee Break |
| 14:50–15:50 | Panel 4: How Could the Digital Euro Drive Innovation? |
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The digital euro is designed to serve as a common European platform on which new financial and digital services can be built. The digital euro could lower barriers for innovation, support new business models, and make it easier to scale solutions across Europe. At the same time, its design choices – including privacy, functionality, and the role of intermediaries – will shape how much room there is for experimentation. This raises a key question: Will innovation come primarily from the design of the digital euro itself, or from the ecosystem that develops around it? This panel will explore how the digital euro could enable innovation while maintaining trust, inclusion, and a level playing field across Europe.
Moderator: Marius Skuodis, Member of the Board of Lietuvos bankas Panellists:
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| 15:50–16:00 | Closing Remarks |