European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde says that Bitcoin will not be included in any EU central bank reserves. “Reserves have to be liquid, reserves have to be secure, they have to be safe, and they should not be plagued by money laundering or other criminal activities,” she said Thursday.

“I’m confident that Bitcoins will not enter the reserves of any of the central banks of the general council” Lagarde added. She states that most of the EU council is in agreement with this decision and stance on cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin.

Lagarde spoke about Bitcoin in response to a suggestion by Czech colleague Ales Michl to include Bitcoin among his country’s official reserves. The Czech Republic does not use the union’s euro. However, it is part of the EU, and therefore its central bank sits on the General Council: chaired by Lagarde. Therefore, her administration is in charge of approving members developing such a reserve.

Also Read: Standard Chartered to Offer Bitcoin & Crypto Custody Service in EU

EU Central Bank President Denies Bitcoin

The European Union has been a mixed bag in terms of crypto regulation and approach for years. As the digital asset industry surged in popularity and value last year, interest has reached new homes, including in Europe. Several crypto institutions have expanded their reach to Europe to meet demand. For example, Standard Chartered is set to offer Bitcoin and crypto custody services in the European Union this year. The asset manager has formed a new Luxembourg-based entity following its recent launch of custody services in the UAE.

Furthermore, crypto trading is set to surge in the EU thanks to new regulations. The Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulation is now fully active, and banking and cryptocurrency will grow fast in 2025. Over 50 banks plan to start crypto trading services to meet customer needs for digital assets in the EU. Despite this, the central banks will be late to the party if the EU general council refuses to allow the housing of Bitcoin or cryptocurrencies in reserve.

Also Read: Litecoin Surges 14%, Is LTC Slated To Hit $200 In February 2025?

The United States made the historic move to allow crypto ETFs to be traded by the nation’s biggest asset managers. The move paved the way for other countries to do the same. It is possible that the EU’s stance on Bitcoin in bank reserves can change, but for now, Central Bank President Christine Lagarde’s stance is clear: it’s not happening.


  • bitcoin
  • cryptocurrency
  • EU
  • european union
  • policy