ECB puts AI agent payments on the digital euro drawing board

The European Central Bank is seeking fintechs, payment firms and other organizations to explore the use of AI agents in digital euro payments.

The ECB opened applications on Monday for a new round of its digital euro innovation platform, dividing the program between hands-on testing of payment features and workshops on future digital euro uses.

The experimentation track will run from January through June 2027, with selected participants developing prototypes for e-receipts, multiparty transactions, conditional payments and new front-end features.

Workshops in the first half of 2027 will cover AI-enabled payments, micropayments, machine-to-machine interactions and uses of the digital euro in public services.

A subset of participants will present at the ECB’s Frankfurt headquarters. The ECB said the findings could inform future enhancements and use cases for the digital euro.

The digital euro is a proposed central bank digital currency for retail payments across the euro area. It would operate as digital cash alongside banknotes and coins.

The ECB has already selected 36 banks and payment firms, including Revolut, Stripe and Deutsche Bank, for a separate 12-month pilot beginning in the second half of 2027. Any issuance would still require EU legislation and a subsequent ECB decision.

Related: The digital euro: Surveillance money, or a better alternative to cash?