ECB President Christine Lagarde said in a speech on October 17, 2026, that the bank plans a 12-month internal digital euro pilot in the second half of 2027. The ECB has selected 36 payment providers to test features including payments, account setup, merchant acceptance and offline use.
Lagarde raised the possibility of a wider launch in 2028 or 2029, but said regulation establishing the digital euro must be adopted first. The EU Parliament moved the package into negotiations in July; final approval still requires negotiation with the Council. Lagarde described the planned currency as a digital alternative to cash that would help Europe retain monetary sovereignty.
