The digital euro has taken a major step toward launch, as European policymakers push to reduce reliance on foreign payment networks and regain control over how money moves across the bloc.
New agreements between the European Central Bank and three standards bodies aim to ensure payments are processed smoothly and uniformly across the EU, keeping the project on track for testing in 2027 and a potential rollout in 2029.
The move addresses a key gap. Europe currently lacks a universally available open standard across payment terminals. The EU’s existing payments ecosystem relies heavily on proprietary systems operated by international card networks and global digital wallets. By building on established European standards, policymakers hope to accelerate adoption while creating a more uniform experience for both users and merchants handling the digital euro.
Standards for Tap-to-Pay and Cash Machines
The ECB plans to build on several existing open technical standards to support the digital euro’s functionality.
These include CPACE, developed by the European Card Payment Cooperation, for secure contactless tap‑to‑pay transactions via near‑field communication; Nexo standards, which link merchants’ systems with payment service providers (PSPs) and acquirers to enable payment acceptance and ATM transactions; and the Berlin Group’s framework, which allow payments using aliases such as mobile phone numbers and supports use cases like merchant apps on smartphones.
By relying on these frameworks, the ECB aims to minimize implementation costs and encourage coordination among payment providers. It has also begun testing the digital euro’s technical and operational readiness, with PSPs participating in a pilot phase.
Is 2029 Still Realistic?
The digital euro’s path has been marked by delays since its initial announcement in 2020. Originally designed as a counterweight to the growing influence of foreign currencies and global payment networks such as Visa and Mastercard, it now also faces competition from stablecoins, which have increasingly taken on the role in cross-border payments that the digital euro was intended to fill.
While incremental progress continues, questions remain over whether the project will meet its timeline—or ultimately come to fruition at all.
“A 2029 launch is realistic on paper, but still contingent on the EU finalizing legal frameworks in 2026,” said Joel Hugentobler, Cryptocurrency Analyst at Javelin Strategy & Research. “Even if legislation passes this year, rollout depends on successful pilot testing. If the pilot goes well, then it’s a matter of adoption by banks and merchants.”
“A lot needs to happen,” he said. “This is progress, but not momentum yet. Until legislation and distribution are dialed in, 2029 is anything but a certainty.”