⚡️🇪🇺 NEW - The ECB says a digital euro could be launched by 2029 and its development is expected to cost €1.3 billion. According to Bloomberg sources, preparatory work is expected to continue at a meeting in Italy this week, with the hope that a legal framework will be adopted by lawmakers within the next four years. At present, only three central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) have been officially launched, in Nigeria, the Bahamas, and Jamaica, according to the US think tank Atlantic Council.