Technical documents and research

Read our experimentation, investigation and preparation work, research papers and technical documents related to our ongoing work on a digital euro.

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Current phase

In November 2025, the digital euro project entered a new phase focused on technical readiness, market engagement, and legislative support. This section will feature key publications and deliverables as work progresses towards possible issuance.

Preparation phase

The focus of the preparation phase, which started in November 2023 and concluded in October 2025, was to lay the foundations for the potential issuance of a digital euro. This included finalising the digital euro rulebook and selecting providers that could potentially develop a digital euro platform and infrastructure.

Investigation phase 

During the investigation phase, between October 2021 and October 2023, we conducted a prototyping exercise and invited market participants to take part in research and experimental work on the technical design of possible digital euro components and services. Focus group research also fed into the project work by providing insights into peoples’ attitudes towards digital payment methods.

Experimentation work

In September 2020 the Eurosystem’s High-Level Task Force on Central Bank Digital Currency launched experimental work on a digital euro with a view to assessing, and gaining further insights into, the technological feasibility of design choices for a digital euro.