ECB Kicks Off Digital Euro Testing with 70 Firms Across Europe
Highlights
- 70 private firms are testing the digital euro with the ECB
- Use cases include retail payments and access for the unbanked
- A final report will be published by the ECB later this year
The European Central Bank has taken a practical step forward in its digital euro project. On Monday, the regional bank launched a testing platform involving around 70 companies from across Europe, including banks, startups, and payment providers.
The goal is to trial how the digital euro could work in day-to-day transactions and explore new services built around it. Participants are split into two groups called Pioneers and Visionaries.
Digital Euro Moves to Real World Simulations
The Pioneers are testing basic transaction functions, such as conditional payments that complete automatically when a set condition is met, for purposes like a package being delivered.
The ECB is providing a technical setup that mirrors what a future digital euro ecosystem might look like. This includes application programming interfaces and support materials. Companies are using these tools to simulate transactions, develop use cases, and test how well this digital currency integrates into their existing systems.
The ECB also expects each company to document its findings. This is in order that these will help the central bank evaluate both the performance and the practical use. It also gives companies a chance to offer feedback on what works and what needs improvement.
Digital Euro: Testing Larger Access
The Visionaries group is exploring how the digital euro could serve social goals. One example is giving people access to their digital wallets through post offices. This could make digital payments available to those without a bank account or smartphone.
Visionaries will present their work to the ECB in workshops running until May 2025. Both groups’ insights will be compiled into a final report later this year. The ECB says this joint effort shows strong interest from the private sector and will guide future decisions about launching a digital euro.
Meanwhile, the regulators are dealing with messier parts of the crypto world. After hackers used OKX’s Web3 platform to wash $100 million from a Bybit hack, EU officials are now checking if the exchange broke MiCA rules. This clearly shows why trust and control matter more than ever.
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