Now that the US sees the EU as a potential enemy, Europe has moved to ensure its financial system can never be sanctioned or shut down; something the US has done to Russia, Cuba, and Iran.
By late 2025,efforts centered on the Digital Euro,a nonprofit payment system run by the EuropeanCentral Bank (like euro cash). Due by 2030, it would offer lower fees and quickly replace much Visa and Mastercard usage.
While still in development,other solutions arrived sooner. Instant bank-to-bank payments, bypassing cards, are expanding rapidly.
In February, 130 million users across 13 national systems were linked in a Europe-wide networkbaiming to cover all of Europe. Fees are a fraction of Visa/Mastercard, though unlike the Digital Euro, it’s not yet available as a debit card; only online and on phones.
The EU also wants to decouple from US software and is preparing its own alternative to Microsoft Office.
Government are digital illiterates. Every single one of them. They see no harm in selling it all to the US. And thyley will. But there are other voices who have slowly started to spread influence and gain traction in the MAGA-era. Change is always slow, but things are happening.
The former government of The Netherlands allowed the hosting of crucial infrastructure to be sold to the US. It cannot be stopped now, apparently, but its starting to look like essential features will be pulled from the deal, before that happens.
https://www.computable.nl/2026/04/03/uitstel-solvinity‑deal-kan-digid-beschermen-tegen-vs‑wetgeving/