ECB seeks experts to help integrate digital euro into ATMs, card payment terminals

The European Central Bank (ECB) said it is looking for experts to help draft rules about how a digital euro would work in everyday payments in anticipation of legislation approving a central bank digital currency (CBDC) and a decision by the bank's governing council to issue one.

The ECB opened applications for experts to help draft parts of the digital euro rulebook relating specifically to ATMs and card payment terminals used in stores, it said Thursday.

ECB President Christine Lagarde said in December the bank had completed its technical and preparatory work on the digital currency and it was now up to political institutions to act. The project, which aims to create a public digital means of payment, is under review by the European Council and the European Parliament. If approved, the central bank has signaled a potential rollout by 2029.

One workstream will define how ATMs and point-of-sale terminals process digital euro payments. This includes how devices connect, how they support offline transactions and how current payment standards can support the new currency. The goal is to ensure people pay with a digital euro at checkout or withdraw it from cash machines across the eurozone.

A second group will design a certification process for payment tools and infrastructure. It will set how providers test and approve systems used to accept digital euro payments in stores and payment networks.

While the central bank is working on the project, a group of 12 European banks are moving forward with their own version of a euro-pegged token. The banks, including BBVA, ING, PNB Paribas, have formed the Qivalis project, a plan to roll-out a euro-pegged stablecoin in the second half of 2026, aiming to offer blockchain payments without relying on dollar-backed tokens.