The European Central Bank (ECB) has selected 36 payment service providers ahead of a digital euro pilot programme set to start in the second half of 2027.

Cointelegraph reported recently that the ECB plans to move the digital euro project from the design stage to a testing stage and conduct a 12-month beta test.

The selected list includes fintech firms such as Stripe and Revolut, as well as traditional financial companies including Deutsche Bank, UniCredit and BPCE. The ECB earlier this year recruited participants across the euro zone and received more than 50 applications after it began accepting expressions of interest in March 2026. Those selected comprise traditional banks, payment processors and non-bank service providers.

By country, Italy had the most. Seven firms were included, including UniCredit, Poste Italiane, Nexi Payments, Banca Sella, Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena, Isybank and Numia. Germany had 5, while Portugal and Greece had 3 each. Participants can provide pilot services in markets outside their home countries.

The test will include the ECB and the central banks of 19 member states, including Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands. Payment companies and merchants will check systems ahead of actual token issuance. Some firms will support users' access to beta digital euro services, while others will handle merchant acceptance of payments. A few companies will perform both roles.

Piero Cipollone (피에로 치폴로네), an ECB executive board member and chair of the high-level digital euro task force, said the scale of participation shows private sector interest and that he expects deeper cooperation with payment firms during the pilot period.