ECB seeks firms to explore AI agent payments for digital euro

The European Central Bank is seeking fintechs, payment firms and other organizations to explore AI agent payments for the digital euro. The ECB opened applications on Monday for a new round of its digital euro innovation platform. Its experimentation track will run from January through June 2027. Selected participants will develop 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 public-service uses. A subset of participants will present at the ECB's Frankfurt headquarters. The ECB said the findings could inform future digital euro enhancements and uses. 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 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. Issuing the digital euro would still require EU legislation and a subsequent ECB decision.