European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde said Bulgaria is “well advanced” in the process of meeting the criteria for joining the euro.

European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde predicted that no European Union country will choose to add Bitcoin to its monetary reserves.

The European Central Bank is cutting its key interest rate, a step to boost an economy that’s struggling to grow as consumers burned by inflation warily eye price tags and businesses try to chart a course amid political turmoil in leading economies France and Germany.

KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV / AFP The European Central Bank cut interest rates again Thursday, January 30, and signaled more to come as the eurozone economy flatlines while warning of trade tensions and uncertainty amid American President Donald Trump's protectionist agenda.

European Central Bank (ECB) President Christine Lagarde reacts as she addresses the media, following the Governing Council's monetary policy meeting at the ECB headquarters, in Frankfurt, Germany, January 30, 2025. REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach

The European Central Bank cut interest rates on Thursday and policymakers guided for a further reduction in March as concerns over lacklustre economic growth supersede worries about persistent inflation.

The European Central Bank cut interest rates as expected on Thursday and kept more easing on the table, sticking to its view that inflation in the euro zone is increasingly under control despite concerns about global trade.

"If trade tensions don't escalate, exports should support recovery as global demand rises."