The European Central Bank (ECB) has announced it will initiate a second round of experimentation for the digital euro in 2026, following the completion of its first innovation platform involving nearly 70 market participants.
The platform, launched in October 2024, brought together banks, fintechs, merchants, academics, and payment service providers to explore potential applications of a digital euro. Participants were split into two workstreams—“visionaries” focused on long-term use cases and “pioneers” on technical testing.
Key findings include the potential for conditional payments—automated transactions triggered by predefined conditions—which were successfully trialled in simulated environments. Use cases ranged from consumer protection in e-commerce to automated insurance reimbursements and dynamic fare calculations in public transport.
The ECB also highlighted integrated electronic receipts (e-receipts) as a promising feature, offering encrypted access to purchase records for consumers and operational efficiencies for merchants. Other tested applications included tailored wallets for children and students, voice-controlled interfaces, and accessibility features.
The ECB stated that the digital euro could reduce fragmentation in business-to-business payments, improve liquidity, and support financial inclusion. The second round of experimentation aims to build on these findings and further engage stakeholders in shaping the digital euro’s design.
More details on the next phase will be released in the first half of 2026. The full innovation platform report is available on the ECB’s website.
