The European Central Bank (ECB) selects 36 payment firms to participate in a digital euro pilot. The participating companies are drawn from the payment sector and are chosen to help test how a potential digital euro could work in practice, including payment processing and related operational requirements. The pilot is designed to evaluate the feasibility of the digital euro and to inform decisions on future design, implementation and governance. In addition to testing technical functions, the selection process reflects the ECB’s approach of involving private payment providers to assess user-facing and market impacts. The ECB’s selection does not indicate that a digital euro has been approved for immediate launch; it is part of the broader groundwork for determining whether and how such a system could be introduced. Once the pilot starts, the selected firms are expected to work with the ECB and other stakeholders to demonstrate and test key aspects of the digital euro’s infrastructure and operations, while meeting applicable regulatory and security expectations.