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[BUSINESS] · Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Greece · 70 sources

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ECB picks 36 payment providers for digital euro pilot

The European Central Bank (ECB) has chosen 36 payment‑service providers (PSPs) from more than 50 applicants to take part in a large‑scale pilot of the digital euro. The 12‑month test will start in the second half of 2027 and involve the ECB together with 19 national central banks across the euro area.

Selected participants cover a wide range of business models and sizes, including major banks such as Deutsche Bank and UniCredit, fintechs and non‑bank providers such as Revolut, Adyen, Stripe, Payone, Worldline, Satispay and several Italian, German, Spanish, Greek and Dutch firms. The pilot will use a beta version of the digital euro that is technically close to the envisaged final design but will not have legal‑tender status.

Its purpose is to evaluate technical functionality, operational processes and user experience for person‑to‑person, person‑to‑merchant and online payments, both online and offline. The results will feed into the EU legislative process that could allow a full public launch by 2029, strengthening Europe’s payment infrastructure and reducing reliance on U.S. payment networks.

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