Status
PLANNED
Program Snapshot
Current status fields and timeline data from the profile record.
Type
RETAIL
Program classification
Wallets
Not listed
Annual Volume
Not listed
Status and Timeline
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Announced | 2021-07-14 |
| Pilot start | 2027-07-01 |
| Launch | Not listed |
| Last verified | 2026-04-18 |
Availability
- Retail
- planned
- Wholesale
- none
Central Bank
European Central Bank
Technical Profile
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Type | Retail |
| Architecture | two-tier |
| Access model | account based |
| Technology base | dlt |
| Legal tender | none |
Capabilities
offline payments: Yes
programmability: No
cross border: Yes
interest bearing: No
transaction limits: Yes
Cross-Border Projects
No cross-border project entries are listed for this profile.
Recent Updates
According to the European Central Bank (ECB), the digital euro moved to the next preparation phase in late 2025 and now has a defined pilot roadmap. The ECB's official pilot page states that, assuming the digital euro Regulation is adopted in 2026, the Eurosystem plans to run a 12-month pilot starting in the second half of 2027 and aims to be ready for a potential first issuance during 2029. The pilot will involve selected euro-area payment service providers, merchants, and Eurosystem staff testing a beta version of the digital euro in real-life payment situations. Because the project now has an official implementation timetable but no live pilot yet, it is tracked as planned rather than generic research.
Updated: Apr 18, 2026
Reference Answers
Is the Digital Euro already in a live pilot?
high confidenceAs of 2026-04-18No. The ECB has published a pilot roadmap and preparation work, but the registry still treats the Digital Euro as planned rather than a live pilot.
The ECB's current position is more advanced than generic research but not yet a live pilot in the registry taxonomy. The pilot page describes a 12-month pilot beginning in the second half of 2027, subject to legislation, which is why the product tracks the Digital Euro as planned and uses future-dated roadmap wording carefully.
- The ECB pilot page describes a future pilot, not a current live pilot.
- The registry avoids treating future-dated roadmap milestones as completed events.
- This answer is useful for country-page FAQs because many readers conflate preparation and piloting.
Citations
Caveats
- Future pilot timing depends on legislation and later operational decisions.
Related CBDCs
Sources
Sources
Last verified: 2026-04-18
Digital Euro - European Central Bank
central bank
ECB Digital Euro Progress Report
central bank
Digital Euro Pilot - European Central Bank
central bank
Eurosystem moves to next phase of digital euro project - ECB Press Release
central bank
Digital Euro Regulation - European Parliament Legislative Train
regulator
ECB framework agreement with Giesecke+Devrient, Nexi, Capgemini for offline solution
news
Digital Euro Legislative Progress: Parliament signals support for dual digital euro
research