European fintech associations are calling on the European Central Bank (ECB) to open its digital euro testing environment to a wider range of participants, including startups and payment innovators.
In a joint letter to the ECB and the European Commission, the European Fintech Association (EFA) and the Payments Innovation Alliance argued that broader access to the digital euro sandbox would “accelerate innovation and ensure the project reflects real market needs.”
Currently, the ECB’s pilot framework is open mainly to banks and large payment institutions. Fintech firms say this limits their ability to test new features such as smart contracts, offline payments, and programmable wallets that could make the digital euro more user-friendly.
The ECB has indicated it plans to expand the sandbox in 2025, once the next testing phase begins. However, no timeline has been confirmed.
Analysts say including fintechs early could help the ECB identify practical use cases for the digital euro in everyday payments, boosting consumer adoption once the CBDC goes live.
“Fintechs are closest to the end user,” said EFA spokesperson Laura Conti. “If the ECB wants the digital euro to succeed, it must be built with them, not just for them.”