ECB Outlines Digital Euro App as it Readies Pilot (ECB)
The European Central Bank (ECB) is to release a smartphone application to support the digital euro. In a July 17, 2026 speech, Piero Cipollone, Member of the Executive Board of the ECB, described a distribution model in which banks either integrate digital euro functionality into their existing mobile banking apps or, if they do not, can deploy a Eurosystem-provided digital euro app at zero licensing cost, backed by a software development kit of reusable components for rapid integration and “develop once, deploy to many” implementation across groups. The ECB’s infrastructure will allow customers to use their current bank app for in-store, online, and person‑to‑person payments across the euro area, with banks retaining the customer interface, data, and interchange economics while the ECB supplies the common rails and a universally offered app that exceeds European Accessibility Act standards and must be made available alongside existing payment options. [ECB]
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