- ECB chooses 36 providers to test digital euro functions, operations, and payment systems.
- Pilot will assess online, offline, mobile, and merchant payment capabilities across Europe.
- Results will guide digital euro development before a possible 2029 issuance decision.
The European Central Bank has selected 36 payment service providers to participate in a 12-month digital euro pilot scheduled to begin in the second half of 2027, marking a major step in Europe’s central bank digital currency preparations.
The selected firms will help test payment functions, operational processes, and user experiences as the ECB evaluates the potential future rollout of a digital euro across the euro area.
ECB Expands Digital Euro Testing With Payment Industry Support
According to the official press release, the ECB selected the 36 providers from more than 50 applications submitted after a March 2026 call for interest. The participants include banks and non-bank payment companies with different business models and regional coverage.
Major financial institutions, including Deutsche Bank, UniCredit, Revolut, Stripe, and Adyen, are among the selected participants.
The ECB said the broad selection would create a diverse testing environment while allowing the central bank to assess how different providers support digital euro services.
ECB Executive Board member Piero Cipollone noted that strong market participation reflects private-sector readiness to support the development of a secure and efficient European payments ecosystem.
The pilot will use a beta version of the digital euro, which will closely match the planned technical design but will not have legal tender status during testing.
Pilot Will Test Online, Offline, and Merchant Payments
The digital euro pilot will involve the ECB and 19 national central banks across the euro area.
Additionally, selected merchants and central bank employees will participate in practical payment trials.
The testing programme will examine several payment scenarios, including person-to-person transfers and person-to-business transactions. Furthermore, participants will test online payments, offline transfers, mobile payments, and point-of-sale transactions.
Selected providers will operate in different roles throughout the pilot. Distributing payment providers will help users access beta digital euro accounts, while acquiring providers will enable merchants to accept digital euro payments.
Some companies will perform both roles, allowing the ECB to evaluate multiple operational models within the same testing environment.
The central bank said participating providers may support pilot services outside their home countries, depending on the structure of the programme and operational requirements.
Digital Euro Roadmap Advances Toward Possible 2029 Launch
The pilot represents another milestone in the ECB’s preparation phase for a potential digital euro issuance. However, the central bank has emphasized that a final launch decision depends on approval of the necessary European legislation.
The ECB currently targets readiness for a possible first issuance in 2029, although lawmakers must establish the legal framework before implementation can proceed.
The digital euro initiative is designed to strengthen Europe’s payments infrastructure while reducing reliance on external payment networks. Moreover, officials have argued that the project could support greater strategic independence in digital payments.
Following the pilot, the ECB will analyze results and refine the digital euro’s technical design, security features, and user experience before making further decisions.
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