Christian Briggs warns Europe’s CBDC push is reshaping money and control

Economist Christian Briggs says the European Union’s move toward a retail digital euro and stricter crypto rules marks a major shift in monetary infrastructure, not just a technology upgrade. His analysis frames the changes as part of a broader fight over financial sovereignty, national security and how much control future governments could have over money.

Why it matters: - Briggs says Europe’s CBDC push could change how money is issued, moved and controlled across the region. - The European Union’s approach may also reshape competition for stablecoins and other digital assets. - The debate matters because programmable central bank money could give future policymakers more power over financial activity.

What happened: - Economist and market commentator Christian Briggs discussed Europe’s digital currency plans in a recent episode of On the Record with Christian Briggs. - Briggs focused on European Parliament progress toward a retail digital euro. - Briggs also highlighted enforcement of the Markets in Crypto Assets, or MiCA, regulation. - The episode is titled “THEY SAID CBDCs WERE A CONSPIRACY — NOW EUROPE JUST MADE ITS BIGGEST MOVE YET.” - The full episode is available on YouTube, Spotify, America Out Loud and Apple Podcasts.

The details: - Briggs said what many once called a monetary “conspiracy theory” is now becoming infrastructure. - Briggs argued that nearly every major global central bank is moving from research into digital currency testing and implementation. - Briggs said the EU is building official digital euro infrastructure while also using MiCA to restrict alternative digital assets. - Briggs said major exchanges are being pushed to limit or drop stablecoins such as Tether, or USDT. - Briggs described programmable centralized digital assets as a long-term policy issue with broad societal effects. - Briggs compared today’s regulatory buildup to earlier monetary resets in Venezuela and Zimbabwe. - Briggs said major monetary shifts usually emerge through incremental regulatory changes rather than one sudden announcement.

Between the lines: - Briggs is framing the digital euro debate as a struggle over monetary sovereignty, not a narrow payments upgrade. - The analysis suggests regulators can shape market behavior indirectly by setting the rules for which digital assets can operate. - The warning about programmable money reflects concern that technical design choices could create durable political leverage. - The comparison to Venezuela and Zimbabwe signals a fear that gradual policy changes can precede broader financial instability.

What's next: - Briggs urged investors, policymakers and citizens to review the full breakdown of the monetary trends he described. - The digital euro process and MiCA enforcement appear likely to remain central issues as Europe continues building out its digital finance framework. - Wider central bank testing and implementation efforts could keep expanding if current policy momentum continues.

The bottom line: - Briggs says Europe is not just modernizing payments. He says it is helping define the next phase of state control over money.