Croatia will participate in the testing of the digital euro. The European Central Bank has selected 36 payment service providers for pilot activities, including two from Croatia — Corvus Pay and Raiffeisenbank Austria, the Croatian National Bank announced.
The pilot activities are scheduled to begin in the second half of 2027 and last for 12 months. Their aim is to verify the technical functionality of the digital euro and operational processes, as well as to improve the user experience, in support of preparations for its possible issuance.
Following a call for expressions of interest published in March 2026, the Eurosystem received more than 50 applications from payment service providers. Both banks and non-bank providers of various sizes and business models from different parts of the euro area were selected, which, according to the ECB, ensures a diverse and representative environment for testing.
A beta version of the digital euro will be used in the pilots. It will be functionally and technically similar to the future digital currency but will not have the status of legal tender.
The activities will be conducted at the ECB and 19 national central banks of the euro area, including Croatia. In addition to employees of the central banks, traders operating in e-commerce and those offering everyday services in their premises, such as canteens and restaurants, will also participate.
