The European Central Bank (ECB) on Tuesday called for e-commerce and mobile commerce merchants in the Eurozone to join its digital euro pilot project. The pilot will test the technology, operational procedures, and user experience of a beta version of the digital euro. It is scheduled to begin in the second half of 2027 and last for 12 months, with a potential issuance target of 2029. The ECB believes that launching the digital euro is a response to the popularity of dollar-backed private stablecoins like USDT and USDC, aiming to maintain Europe's monetary autonomy.