ECB Seeks Fintechs to Develop AI-Powered Digital Euro Payments

The European Central Bank (ECB) has announced plans to explore the use of AI agents in digital euro payments. The bank is seeking fintechs, payment firms, and other organizations to participate in a new round of its digital euro innovation platform.

The experimentation track will run from January through June 2027, with selected participants developing prototypes for e-receipts, multiparty transactions, conditional payments, and new front-end features. Workshops in the first half of 2027 will cover AI-enabled payments, micropayments, machine-to-machine interactions, and uses of the digital euro in public services.

The digital euro is a proposed central bank digital currency for retail payments across the euro area. It would operate as digital cash alongside banknotes and coins. The ECB has already selected 36 banks and payment firms, including Revolut, Stripe, and Deutsche Bank, for a separate 12-month pilot beginning in the second half of 2027.

The findings from this new round could inform future enhancements and use cases for the digital euro. Any issuance would still require EU legislation and a subsequent ECB decision.