ECB Selects 36 Firms for Digital Euro Pilot as 12-Month Trial Set for 2027

The European Central Bank has selected 36 payment service providers for its digital euro pilot program, accelerating preparations for the rollout of a central bank digital currency.

Crypto media outlet Cointelegraph reported on July 14 that the ECB, in an official statement, named 36 payment service providers to participate in the digital euro pilot. The 12-month trial is scheduled to begin in the second half of 2027.

The selected companies include fintech firms such as Stripe and Revolut, along with traditional lenders including Deutsche Bank, UniCredit and BPCE. The ECB received applications from more than 50 companies after opening expressions of interest in March, and ultimately chose a mix of traditional banks, payment processors and non-bank service providers.

Italy had the largest number of selected companies, with seven including UniCredit, Poste Italiane and Nexi Payments. Germany followed with five, while Portugal and Greece each had three.

Piero Cipollone, an ECB Executive Board member and chair of the digital euro task force, said he looked forward to closer cooperation with European payment service providers as the central bank develops a digital euro that is safe, efficient and inclusive.

The pilot also includes the ECB and the central banks of the euro area's 19 member states, including Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands. Depending on their roles, the selected companies will either support user access to beta services or help merchants accept payments, with some taking on both functions.