ECB picks firms including Deutsche Bank, Revolut for digital euro pilot

Finance ECB picks firms including Deutsche Bank, Revolut for digital euro pilot The pilot will test a beta version of the digital euro for online, offline, in-store, and e-commerce payments with ECB and central bank staff as users. By Francisco Rodrigues | Edited by Sheldon Reback Jul 14, 2026, 12:10 p.m. 2 min read Make preferred on Share Share this article Copy link X icon X (Twitter) LinkedIn Facebook Email Make preferred on The European Central Bank Building. (ECB Press) Summary Show The ECB selected 36 firms, including Deutsche Bank and Revolut, for a 12-month digital-euro pilot scheduled to start in the second half of 2027. The pilot will test a beta version of the digital euro for online, offline, in-store and e-commerce payments with ECB and central bank staff as users. The ECB aims for potential issuance by 2029, pending legislation and Governing Council approval. The European Central Bank (ECB) selected 36 banks and payment firms to join a pilot of the digital euro starting in the second half of next year as it prepares the central bank digital currency (CBDC) for potential issuance in 2029. The group, selected from among 50 applicants, includes Adyen, Deutsche Bank, Revolut, SumUp, UniCredit and Worldline, the ECB said on its website . While legislation enabling the currency has yet to be finalized, the central bank is pushing forward with the project because it sees adoption of private dollar-backed stablecoins such as Tether's USDT and Circle Internet's USDC as a thre at to Europe’s monetary autonomy . The 12-month pilot will test a beta version of the digital euro across the ECB and 19 euro-area national central banks. It will cover online and offline transfers between individuals, in-store payments and e-commerce purchases. Although it won't have legal status, the currency will be close to the design set out in draft European Union legislation. The ECB’s staff, along with employees of national central banks, will act as consumers. Selected restaurants, cafeterias and online merchants will accept payments during the pilot. CBDCs have engendered opposition from some quarters. Privacy advocates are concerned that their transactions can be monitored and that the central bank could simply block their access to the currency. Reflecting those concerns, in the U.S., a law took effect last month barring the Federal Reserve from creating or issuing a digital dollar through Dec. 31, 2030. In contrast, the European project moves into operational testing as EU lawmakers work on the legislation required for issuance. A European Parliament committee advanced the proposed legal framework last month. The final decision on whether to proceed with a digital euro requires the legislation to pass and a separate decision from the ECB Governing Council. The ECB has said it could be ready for a possible issuance in 2029. ECB CBDC Latest Crypto News 1 Japan’s biggest card network taps Circle to bring stablecoins to 40 million merchants 9 minutes ago 2 U.S.-Iran escalation weighs on bitcoin, stocks as oil climbs 56 minutes ago 3 Bitcoin's BIP-110 sparked a fight over who gets to decide the future of Bitcoin 1 hour ago 4 Prediction markets just crushed traditional sportsbooks in a massive $50 billion World Cup breakout 1 hour ago 5 Bitcoin’s great rotation: Long-term holders pass supply to a new generation of buyers 1 hour ago 6 Bitcoin steadies at $62,600 as South Koreans flee stocks rout for crypto 1 hour ago 7 XRP and ether bulls are getting louder as prices fall, signaling more trouble ahead 1 hour ago 8 Live updates: Bitcoin holds $62,600 as the Iran conflict reignites and CPI looms 5 hours ago 9 U.S. government moves $288 million in seized bitcoin, ether to Coinbase Prime 5 hours ago 10 Solo bitcoin miner makes $200,000 using $150 equipment 7 hours ago Latest Research Gate Leads Spot Market Share Gains as CEX Volumes Rise for First Time in Five Months Gate Leads Spot Market Share Gains as CEX Volumes Rise for First Time in Five Months CEX trading volumes rose for the first time in five months in June, with spot climbing 15.3% to $1.11T and RWA perpetual volumes surging to a record $311B. By CoinDesk Research Jul 13, 2026 CEX trading volumes rose for the first time in five months in June, with spot climbing 15.3% to $1.11T and RWA perpetual volumes surging to a record $311B. Why it matters : CEX trading volumes rose for the first time in five months in June, with spot climbing 15.3% to $1.11T and RWA perpetual volumes surging to a record $311B. View Full Report More From Finance Japan’s biggest card network taps Circle to bring stablecoins to 40 million merchants Prediction markets just crushed traditional sportsbooks in a massive $50 billion World Cup breakout Live updates: Bitcoin holds $62,600 as the Iran conflict reignites and CPI looms