According to CoinMeta, the European Central Bank has launched a service that connects payment systems with blockchain financial markets, allowing banks and investors to conduct on-chain settlements in euros. The first batch of institutions to join include Deutsche Bank, Santander, and BNP Paribas. The service will be operational during working hours from 14:00 to 22:00 (UTC+8). In addition, the European Central Bank plans to invest a very small portion of its 23 billion euros in own funds in blockchain securities and aims to introduce the digital euro by 2029. (Source: Reuters)