ECB to launch digital euro pilot in H2 2027
- —The digital euro pilot will run for 12 months starting in H2 2027
- —36 firms are signed up, including Deutsche Bank, Revolut, Adyen and UniCredit
- —Merchants across the EU must accept digital euros by 2029
- —Visa and Mastercard processed 47% of eurozone card payment value in 2025, and 95% in the UK
Why it matters: A digital euro could reduce Europe's reliance on Visa and Mastercard and curb stablecoins' role in retail payments.
Source: Fortune Crypto