TLDR
- The ECB opened applications Monday for a new round of its digital euro innovation platform.
- The program splits into two tracks: experimentation and exploration workshops.
- Experimentation runs from January to June 2027, testing features like e-receipts and conditional payments.
- Exploration workshops will cover AI agents, micropayments, and machine-to-machine payments.
- The ECB already picked 36 firms, including Revolut and Stripe, for a separate 2027 pilot.
The European Central Bank has opened a new round of applications for its digital euro innovation platform. The call went out on Monday, inviting fintechs, payment firms, and other organizations to take part.
The European Central Bank wants private firms to test AI agent payments for the digital euro! 🇪🇺🤖
The ECB has opened applications for 2027 prototyping, exploring how autonomous AI models can execute machine-to-machine transactions.#DigitalEuro #ECB #AIPayments #AlphaIntel pic.twitter.com/rq2wTaTU6u
— Alpha Intel (@AlphaIntelMedia) September 30, 2026
The program is split into two main workstreams. One is called experimentation, and the other is exploration. Each one focuses on different parts of building a possible digital euro.
What the Experimentation Track Covers
The experimentation workstream will run from January 2027 through June 2027. Selected participants will build prototypes for real-world features.
These include electronic receipts, payments split between multiple people, and conditional payments. Conditional payments would only trigger once certain conditions are met.
Participants will also work on new front-end features. These are the tools people would actually see and use in a payment app.
At the end of this track, selected teams will submit a proof of concept. They will also write an outcome report describing what they built.
AI Agents and Machine-to-Machine Payments
The exploration workstream looks further into the future. It will run as workshops held at the ECB’s Frankfurt headquarters during the first half of 2027.
This track will focus on artificial intelligence in payments. That includes AI agents and how they might interact with each other during a transaction.
Micropayments and machine-to-machine interactions are also part of this track. The ECB wants to understand how AI-enabled payments might work without a person clicking every step.
The bank said it will also look at privacy by design and user control. Data protection principles will guide how any of these ideas are developed.
Exploration will also cover public uses for a digital euro. This includes things like transportation payments and utility bills.
Smart city projects and financial inclusion are also part of the discussion. So is how a digital euro could support public sector automation.
Who Can Apply
The call is open to a wide range of groups. This includes merchants, payment service providers, technical service providers, fintech companies, consumer associations, and research institutes.
Joint applications are encouraged. For example, a merchant could apply together with a payment provider or a technical partner.
Applicants have until 17:00 CET on November 9, 2026, to submit their forms. The ECB will assess applications based on relevance, innovation potential, and technical readiness.
A subset of participants from both tracks will be invited to present their results at the ECB’s Frankfurt offices. The bank said findings from this work could shape future updates to the digital euro project.
Background on the Digital Euro
The digital euro is a proposed central bank digital currency for retail use across the euro area. It would work as digital cash alongside existing banknotes and coins.
This innovation platform builds on an earlier version launched in 2024. It is separate from another digital euro pilot the ECB has already organized.
For that separate pilot, the ECB selected 36 banks and payment firms. Revolut, Stripe, and Deutsche Bank are among the participants chosen.
That pilot is set to begin in the second half of 2027 and will run for 12 months. Any actual issuance of a digital euro would still require EU legislation and a formal ECB decision.
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