ECB Selects Telefonica and Minsait for Digital Euro
The European Central Bank has chosen the two firms to build secure communications and system infrastructure.
Updated on Oct. 30, 2026 in Data Centers
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The European Central Bank has selected Telefonica and Minsait to provide the digital infrastructure for the upcoming digital euro. The consortium will develop the necessary communications, security, and integration systems to connect banks and payment providers.
Why it matters
The digital euro requires highly resilient, secure, and robust communications infrastructure to function at a massive scale across Europe. This partnership ensures that public and private intermediaries can interact reliably within the proposed system.
Telefonica will deploy a Multiprotocol Label Switching network, VPNs, and SD-WAN capabilities, while Minsait oversees secure API integration and identity verification. The contract covers a ten-year term for these technical infrastructure requirements.
The players
European Central Bank
The central bank for the euro and the administrator of monetary policy for the member states of the eurozone.
Telefonica
A Spanish multinational telecommunications company that provides mobile and fixed communication services.
Minsait
A business unit of Indra Sistemas focused on digital transformation, system integration, and information technology consulting.
The details
The consortium will link various public and private bodies, including banks and fintech companies, to the digital euro scheme. Minsait will manage system integration and identity verification, while Telefonica handles physical infrastructure deployments for offline elements.
Timeline
The ten-year contract is set to begin on 3 May 2027.
The Tech Race
This partnership represents a critical infrastructure foundation for the broader shift toward sovereign digital currencies in Europe. By integrating legacy banking networks with modern API-based security, the project prepares the continent for a transition away from strictly cash-based systems.
The establishment of this infrastructure is a prerequisite for citizens to eventually access digital euro payments through their existing banks and fintech providers. Users can expect the eventual integration of these systems to provide secure, standardized digital payment options.
The takeaway
Building a secure foundation is the essential first phase for any national or regional digital currency project. Future implementations of this nature will likely focus on interoperability between private fintech firms and legacy central bank systems.
What happens next
The ten-year contract term is scheduled to commence on 3 May 2027.
Further reading
For more information on current technological initiatives, visit the Data Centers section.
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Do you trust that a centralized digital euro system would keep your financial data secure?
