The European Central Bank (ECB) on Monday opened applications for a new round of its digital euro innovation platform, aiming to explore AI agents and machine-to-machine (M2M) interactions. The program is divided into practical testing of payment functions and workshops on future scenarios; the experimental track will run from January to June 2027.

Prototypes: e-Receipts, Multilateral and Conditional Payments

As part of the experiment, selected participants will develop prototypes for electronic receipts (e-receipts), multilateral transactions, conditional payments, and new frontend features. Some teams will present their results at the ECB headquarters in Frankfurt; findings may inform further improvements and use cases for the digital euro.

Workshops: AI Payments, Micropayments, and M2M in Public Services

Workshops are planned for the first half of 2027, focusing on AI-supported payments, micropayments, machine-to-machine interactions, and the application of the digital euro in public services.

Separate 12-Month Pilot with 36 Firms in H2 2027

The ECB has already selected 36 banks and payment companies, including Revolut, Stripe, and Deutsche Bank, for a separate 12-month pilot set to begin in the second half of 2027. Any issuance of the digital euro will require EU legislation and a subsequent ECB decision. The digital euro is envisioned as a retail CBDC for the euro area, functioning as digital cash alongside banknotes and coins.