26 September 2025

• Experimentation with almost 70 market participants highlights digital euro’s potential to foster innovation and financial inclusion
• ECB to launch second round of experimentation through platform next year to maximise innovation potential
• Conditional payments identified as possible key driver of innovation for consumers and businesses

A digital euro could foster innovation in the European payments system and boost financial inclusion, according to a report published today on the outcome of the first iteration of the digital euro innovation platform – an initiative launched by the European Central Bank (ECB) in October 2024 for collaboration and experimentation with digital euro project stakeholders.

This iteration of the innovation platform brought together almost 70 market participants, including merchants, fintech companies, start-ups, academia, banks and other payment service providers, to explore possible applications of the digital euro.

Participants joined…