The European Central Bank is set to begin technical and operational tests for its digital euro in the second half of 2027.
The pilot program will involve a broad range of participants, including banks and payment service providers, as the central bank moves from conceptual design to practical implementation.
This development marks a significant step in the ECB's long-running initiative to introduce a digital form of central bank money.
The central bank has previously selected 36 payment service providers to take part in the pilot, ensuring a diverse mix of institutions can test the infrastructure under real-world conditions.
The inclusion of banks familiar to retail customers, such as those operating in Poland, signals the ECB's intent to assess the digital euro's usability across different national markets.
The pilot aims to evaluate the technical feasibility and operational readiness of the system before any potential public launch.