European Central Bank Opens Digital Euro Pilot Program Applications to Eurozone E-commerce Companies

According to the official website of the European Central Bank (ECB), the Eurosystem has officially launched the digital euro pilot program, soliciting expressions of interest from e-commerce and mobile commerce merchants in the Eurozone. Selected merchants will collaborate with the ECB and national central banks across the Eurozone to test technical functionalities, operational workflows, and user experience within a simulated digital euro ecosystem. They will also provide feedback on payment processes, merchant requirements, and customer experience to further refine the technical specifications of the digital euro. Participation is voluntary and uncompensated, and merchants must establish partnerships with selected Payment Service Providers (PSPs). The ECB will host an information briefing on October 6, 2026, with the application deadline at 17:00 CET on October 27, 2026. The pilot program is expected to officially launch in the second half of 2027 and will run for 12 months. Notably, the "test digital euro" used in this pilot does not hold legal tender status, and the decision to formally issue the digital euro remains pending the adoption of relevant EU legislation.