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ECB picks 36 payment firms for digital euro pilot starting in 2027
The pilot will run for 12 months, starting in the second half of 2027, using a beta version that will not have legal tender status.
The European Central Bank has selected 36 payment service providers from across the euro area to take part in a digital euro pilot, aimed at testing the planned currency’s technical functionality and operational processes.
The exercise is intended to refine the digital euro’s user experience and support ongoing preparatory work for a potential digital euro issuance, with the pilot due to begin in the second half of 2027 and run for 12 months.
Following a March 2026 call for expressions of interest that drew more than 50 applications, the Eurosystem evaluated candidates against pre defined eligibility criteria before choosing a mix of banks and non bank service providers with varied business models and geographies.
ECB Executive Board member Piero Cipollone, who chairs the High Level Task Force on a digital euro, said the strong market interest shows private sector readiness to engage quickly to help strengthen Europe’s payments landscape. The pilot will use a beta version close to the draft legislative design but without legal tender status, with activities taking place at the ECB and 19 national central banks across the euro area.