ECB picks two network providers for the digital euro

The European Central Bank has selected two network service providers for the digital euro platform. According to an ECB announcement dated October 30, 2026, the winners are a Nexi and Deutsche Telekom grouping and a Telefónica and Indra grouping. They will connect banks and payment providers to the platform, and both are due to be ready by 2029, subject to a Governing Council decision on the next phase.

Details

The selection process began on August 27, 2025. The ECB lists the first group as Nexi Payments and Deutsche Telekom Business Solutions, and the second as Telefónica de España, Telefónica Global Solutions and Indra Soluciones Tecnologías de la Información. Their job is to link participating payment service providers and national central banks to the digital euro service platform and to carry traffic between its components.

The contract with the first-ranked provider took effect on September 28, 2026 and initially covers only the pilot. The second contract starts in May 2027. The Paypers reports the contracts run for ten years; the ECB announcement does not state a term. Ledger Insights notes that banks and payment firms will be able to connect through either provider. Contract values have not been disclosed.

It follows the ECB's July 14, 2026 selection of 36 payment providers for the digital euro pilot.

What it means for the market

The digital euro is a central bank project, not a cryptocurrency: the ECB would issue and control it. For crypto markets it is mostly background, alongside the regulated euro stablecoin market we covered in our Qivalis story. No final decision to issue a digital euro has been made. It rests with the Governing Council and depends on EU legislation. Live prices are in the daily brief.