[CLSTR]
< Back to situation

[REVISION HISTORY]

ECB euro banknote redesign and digital euro pilot

Updated 10 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-09-01 09:49 UTC → 2026-09-09 09:32 UTC · added removed

The European Central Bank (ECB) is progressing with a major redesign of euro banknotes and the development of a digital euro. The physical redesign aims to enhance security against advanced counterfeiting, such as AI-driven forgery, improve accessibility for the visually impaired, and utilize more sustainable materials. Following a competition involving over 1,200 graphic designers, ten finalist proposals have been unveiled. These are categorized into two themes: ‘European Culture’ and ‘Rivers and Birds’. The ‘European Culture’ theme features historical figures such as Maria Callas (€5), Ludwig van Beethoven (€10), Marie Curie (€20), Miguel de Cervantes (€50), Leonardo da Vinci (€100), and Bertha von Suttner (€200). The ‘Rivers and Birds’ theme depicts the journey of water from mountains to the sea, paired with specific bird species like the wallcreeper, kingfisher, European bee-eater, white stork, avocet, and northern fulmar. The reverse side of these notes would feature major European institutions. To ensure compatibility with existing ATMs and payment devices, As of September 2026, the physical dimensions and primary colors will remain consistent. An ECB has officially launched the online public consultation is currently active, consultation, allowing eurozone citizens to vote on these designs until September 21, 2026. This marks the first complete redesign of the currency since its 2002 introduction. The finalists were selected by an independent jury of 21 experts in fields including neuroscience, history, and graphic design. The ECB Governing Council will make its final decision toward the end of 2026, informed by technical evaluations, a critical committee, and results from both this public vote and a parallel study conducted by an independent survey of research agency on a representative sample of citizens. New notes could potentially enter circulation in the early 2030s. Regarding the digital euro, a pilot program is scheduled for the second half of 2027. This one-year beta test will involve 36 payment service providers testing the currency for everyday transactions. The ECB maintains that cash will remain a permanent part of the European payments system.

Versions

  1. 2026-09-09 09:32 UTC ECB euro banknote redesign and digital euro pilot
  2. 2026-09-01 09:49 UTC ECB euro banknote redesign and digital euro pilot
  3. 2026-08-31 15:32 UTC ECB euro banknote redesign and digital euro pilot
  4. 2026-08-29 07:11 UTC ECB euro banknote redesign and digital euro pilot
  5. 2026-08-28 07:02 UTC ECB euro banknote redesign and digital euro pilot
  6. 2026-08-25 06:03 UTC European Central Bank euro banknote redesign
  7. 2026-08-21 12:23 UTC European Central Bank euro banknote redesign
  8. 2026-08-21 04:39 UTC European Central Bank euro banknote redesign
  9. 2026-08-17 01:34 UTC European Central Bank euro banknote redesign
  10. 2026-08-16 21:36 UTC European Central Bank euro banknote redesign
  11. 2026-08-14 14:42 UTC European Central Bank euro banknote redesign

Only revisions since CLSTR began indexing content versions appear here. Select a version to see what changed compared to the one before it.