Rumors of Lagarde stepping down early have sparked attention regarding her successor at the European Central Bank and the prospects for a digital euro.

PANews reported on February 18th, citing the Financial Times and Cointelegraph, that European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde is considering stepping down before her term expires in October 2027, allowing French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merz to reach an agreement on her successor before the French general election in April 2027. An ECB spokesperson subsequently responded that Lagarde is "fully focused on her mission and has not yet made any decisions regarding the end of her term."

Lagarde's potential early departure comes at a crucial time for the European Central Bank's (ECB) push for a digital euro. Under her leadership, the ECB has continued its preparations for a digital euro and has repeatedly emphasized the need to manage the risks of stablecoins and other private digital currencies within the framework of the EU's Crypto-Assets Market Regulation Act. Lagarde herself has long been critical of crypto assets such as Bitcoin, calling them "highly speculative," "worthless," and "without any underlying asset backing." A change in ECB leadership could affect the institution's communication priorities and focus regarding the digital euro, stablecoin regulation, and crypto-related payment arrangements, although the overall regulatory direction has been established at the EU level.