ECB selected Tatra banka for the Digital Euro pilot project

Author: Simona Miklošovičová, hovorkyňa | 14.07.2026 | 3 min. čítania

The European Central Bank (ECB) has selected Tatra banka and other payment service providers to participate in the pilot phase of the digital euro. The one-year pilot will start in the second half of 2027 and aims to test the technical functioning of the digital euro, the user experience, and the market’s readiness for its future introduction.

According to the European Central Bank, the pilot aims to fine-tune the design of the digital euro and verify its technical readiness. The twelve-month pilot will start in the second half of 2027. It will take place in the controlled environment of the Eurosystem and will involve real transactions.

Several payment service providers applied to participate. The ECB selected 36 entities from across the euro area.

The ECB set the following objectives for the pilot phase of the Digital Euro:

Test readiness before scaling up
Improve digital euro value proposition
Improve go-to-market strategy
Prepare for subsequent market roll-out

The pilot will involve staff from the ECB and participating national central banks, as well as e-commerce merchants, and merchants offering services on their premises.

The scope of the pilot will focus on transfers between individuals (P2P) as well as payments between individuals and merchants (P2B). The scenarios consider online and offline payments, as well as transactions with and without the physical presence of the participants.

The pilot activity represents an important part of preparations to ensure technical readiness for the planned introduction of the digital euro from 2029.

Simona Miklošovičová, Spokeperson, [email protected], 0903 641 846