ECB Reaffirms Digital Euro Will Coexist With Cash Amid Persistent Banknote Usage

Europe's march toward a digital euro faces a cultural countercurrent: cash refuses to fade. Despite policymakers' digital payment visions, 52% of in-store transactions still involve physical currency in 2024. The ECB's coexistence pledge underscores a societal divide - 62% of Europeans demand cash access, while younger generations paradoxically stockpile banknotes as pandemic-era security blankets.

Regional disparities reveal deeper tensions. Southern and Eastern European nations process 70% of payments in cash, contrasting sharply with Sweden's 28% digital dominance. This resistance isn't mere technological lag, but a referendum on trust. Physical currency's trifecta of utility - transactional immediacy, inflation hedge, and crisis backup - maintains its grip on the European psyche.