EMEA Daily: 5 Companies Join ECB’s Digital Euro Project

Today in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) news, the European Central Bank (ECB) announces five industry partners that will be involved in a “prototyping exercise” as part of the digital euro project, while Truelayer cuts 10% of its workforce.

Amazon, Nexi, Worldline, CaixaBank, EPI Join Digital Euro Project

The ECB has selected five companies to be involved in a “prototyping exercise” that will be part of its two-year investigation phase into a digital euro, a central bank digital currency (CBDC) that could be used as an alternative to cash. The companies are Amazon, Nexi, Worldline, CaixaBank and the European Payments Initiative (EPI).

London Open Banking Startup TrueLayer Cuts 10% of Staff

Blaming market conditions, London-based open banking startup TrueLayer is laying off 10% of its staff of approximately 443 employees. Affected employees will receive an exit package with salary compensation based on time of service, three months pension, extended access to health insurance and mental health support.

Cryptocurrency-Fiat Gateway CryptoPayments Launches B2B, B2C Solutions

Estonia-based cryptocurrency-fiat gateway CryptoPayments has launched new solutions that enable businesses and individuals to make and receive payments in nine cryptocurrencies. The platform features security that includes two-factor account authentication, currency options, up to 14 personal crypto wallets and multicurrency cards, and an application programming interface (API) for developers.

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