Across Europe, governments and market infrastructures are coordinating on shared blockchain rails. The European Blockchain Partnership unites EU Member States with Norway and Liechtenstein to build public-sector blockchain services under the European Blockchain Services Infrastructure (EBSI).
What The European Blockchain Partnership Actually Does
The Partnership’s delivery vehicle is EBSI, an EU-wide network of permissioned nodes that supports multiple protocols (currently Hyperledger Besu with IBFT 2.0 and Hyperledger Fabric) and exposes APIs for public services. Its goal is to provide tamper-evident records and interoperable trust services across borders.
Identity & Credentials Move First
EBSI’s verifiable credentials framework lets universities, employers, and agencies issue cryptographically verifiable records that citizens hold in wallets and present anywhere in Europe. Education pilots have already demonstrated cross-border exchange, including Spain, Belgium, and Italy, and an Early Adopters program is scaling production pilots.
Built To Interoperate With EU Digital Identity
This credential layer aligns with the European Digital Identity (EUDI) Wallet program. In 2025 the Commission adopted additional implementing regulations for wallet registration, certification, incident handling, and cross-border identity matching, moving national wallets toward interoperable rollout. Meanwhile, the W3C made Verifiable Credentials Data Model 2.0 an official web standard on 15 May 2025, strengthening Europe’s standards-based approach.
The Regulatory Backbone That Enables Cooperation
MiCA Makes Rules Consistent Across Member States
Europe’s Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) is now in force. Stablecoin rules for asset-referenced tokens (ARTs) and e-money tokens (EMTs) have applied since 30 June 2024 under the EBA’s supervision, and the broader regime for crypto-asset service providers (CASPs) has applied since 30 December 2024, with ESMA publishing Level-2/3 measures and guidance through 2025. A member-state “grandfathering” table clarifies transition windows.
The DLT Pilot Regime Lets Market Infrastructures Experiment
Since 23 March 2023, the EU’s DLT Pilot Regime has allowed regulated trading and settlement systems to test tokenized financial instruments. In June 2025, ESMA suggested amendments to make the Pilot permanent, signaling a path from experimentation to lasting frameworks.
Central Banks And Market Rails Are Coordinating Too
Eurosystem Interoperability For Wholesale Settlement
The ECB and national banks tested three interoperability approaches—DL3S, TIPS Hash-Link, and the Trigger Solution—so DLT platforms can settle in central-bank money. Tests involved dozens of entities across multiple jurisdictions, and in June 2025 the ECB’s Governing Council approved a plan to enable DLT settlement in central bank money.
Digital Euro: Policy Is Catching Up
The digital euro remains in the preparation phase with legislative work ongoing. The ECB has said it aims for a political deal by early 2026, while lawmakers have pressed for credibility after a widely reported payment-system outage in early 2025.
SWIFT’s Cross-Chain, Cross-Asset Trials
SWIFT is coordinating live trials for digital assets and currency transactions with banks across Europe and beyond, building on prior tokenization and CBDC experiments to reduce fragmentation between chains and legacy rails.
Concrete Examples Of European Collaboration
Public-Sector Credentials
EBSI pilots for diplomas, transcripts, employment and micro-credentials show how cross-border verification can be instant and privacy-preserving, with trust registries and an issuer trust model to anchor verification.
Private-Sector And Market Infrastructure
Beyond the EU, Swiss market infrastructure approvals and European exchange initiatives point to a regional shift toward tokenized instruments and on-chain settlement, complementing EU pilots and regulations.
How Startups, Banks, And Agencies Can Plug In
Join The European Blockchain Sandbox
The Commission’s European Blockchain Sandbox runs annual cohorts to surface regulatory questions and best practices. The second cohort’s best-practices report (late-2024 to April-2025 dialogues) captures lessons for AML alignment, identity, and tokenization.
Build On EBSI And The EUDI Wallet
Prospective node operators and solution providers can align to EBSI specs and conformance profiles. Use W3C VC 2.0, integrate with trust registries, and design for selective disclosure to keep personal data off-chain.
Design For Compliance From Day One
If your product touches tokens or wallets in the EU, map scope under MiCA and the DLT Pilot at the outset. Track ESMA/EBA updates, transitional timelines, and national implementation details to avoid rework.
Risks And Governance To Get Right
Europe’s frameworks emphasize privacy, safety, and portability. EBSI documentation ties design choices to the EU’s Digital Rights Declaration principles; projects should minimize on-chain personal data, use wallets for consentful disclosure, and anchor integrity using hashes.
Outlook: From Pilots To Production
With a pan-European partnership, common infrastructure, harmonized rules, and central-bank/market-rail trials, Europe’s blockchain push is moving from proofs-of-concept toward live services that work across borders. Expect credentials and settlement connectivity to lead, with tokenized assets and programmable compliance close behind.
FAQ
Which countries are in the Partnership?
All EU Member States plus Norway and Liechtenstein participate via the European Blockchain Partnership, coordinated with the European Commission.
What standards should builders target?
Use W3C Verifiable Credentials 2.0 and align with EBSI’s trust, conformance, and wallet profiles to maximize interoperability with the EUDI Wallet.
When do MiCA rules apply?
Stablecoin issuance rules (ARTs/EMTs) apply from 30 June 2024; the broader CASP regime has applied since 30 December 2024, with ESMA/EBA continuing to publish detailed measures in 2025.
