The European Central Bank said on October 30, 2026 that it has signed agreements with two network service providers for the digital euro, one a grouping of Nexi Payments and Deutsche Telekom Business Solutions and the other a grouping of Telefónica de España, Telefónica Global Solutions and Indra. The Nexi and Deutsche Telekom contract took effect on September 28 and covers connectivity for the pilot, while the Telefónica and Indra contract starts in May 2027.
Why it matters: Payment service providers that offer the digital euro will connect to the ECB platform through either provider, and both groups must be ready from 2029 for a potential issuance that still needs a Governing Council decision on the next phase. Finextra reports that the Nexi and Deutsche Telekom contract runs for ten years, which gives the Italian payments group a long-term role in the central connectivity layer of a euro area payment scheme.
Source: European Central Bank, October 30, 2026; Finextra, October 30, 2026
Related: CPMI report sets out four central bank roles in payments · Mastercard makes offline payments mandatory for new cards and terminals in Europe
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