From a Family Photo to the Digital Euro Protector

Twenty years ago, when I was working at the European Space Agency and living in Darmstadt, near Frankfurt, my family came to visit. As we toured the city, we stopped outside the European Central Bank (ECB) building and took a photo. At the time, it was just a vacation snapshot. I couldn’t have imagined how much that moment would come to mean to me.

Feedzai Selected to Safeguard the Digital Euro

Today, the ECB concluded a framework agreement, naming Feedzai as the partner to provide the central fraud detection and prevention mechanism for the forthcoming digital euro.

The eurozone is the world’s second-largest economy, comprising 440 million citizens and exceeding $17 trillion in GDP. To be entrusted with protecting its digital currency is both humbling and inspiring. 

“With tens of billions of transactions expected across the eurozone, success depends on AI that can adapt as quickly as fraud evolves. Our role is to provide the intelligence that keeps even the most sophisticated fraud out, ensuring trust in every digital euro transaction from day one.” — Nuno Sebastião, CEO and Co-Founder, Feedzai

Feedzai Valued at $2B with New Funding

As if the ECB news wasn’t enough, I’m proud to share another significant development. Feedzai’s valuation has risen to $2 billion following a $75 million fundraising round. We are backed by several new investors, including Lince Capital, Iberis Capital, and Explorer Investments, who join long-time backers from Oxy Capital and Buenavista Equity Partners, who share our belief in our mission. 

It feels like only yesterday that we reached “unicorn” status. Now, we’ve reached our next remarkable milestone. This news is proof that protecting commerce and delivering trusted AI-native security is more critical than ever. 

This moment wouldn’t be possible without our people and our customers. It also reflects the strength of our partnership with PwC. Together, we’ll deliver a fraud detection and prevention system that meets the EU’s highest standards for security, privacy, and data protection.

Securing the Eurozone’s Next Payments Chapter 

The digital euro will be Europe’s digital version of cash, with plans to launch between 2027 and 2029.¹ Like physical money, it will be universally accepted and backed by the ECB. 

Our role is simple, but vital. We will provide real-time fraud risk scores on every transaction, giving banks and payment providers the intelligence they need to block fraud before it ever reaches a citizen’s wallet.

A New Economic Opportunity: Financial Inclusion

It’s no secret that I love technology and its power to change the world. What really excites me most about our ECB partnership is the opportunity to expand access to the financial system. 

For the unbanked, it provides a safer and simpler way to participate in the digital economy. For those with disabilities, it will be designed with accessibility in mind. And for every citizen, it carries the same promise as cash, which is money that is risk-free, universal, and trusted.

What This Means for Our Customers

For our financial institution customers around the globe, the same technology that will keep the citizens of the eurozone safe from fraud is the technology that will protect your customers every day.

Operating at this scale will sharpen our models, strengthen our insights into global fraud trends, and accelerate innovations across our platform. And while the ECB project follows the strictest data protection standards, with full data segregation, the learnings will benefit our entire customer community.

Looking Ahead

It’s incredibly exciting and gratifying to see that when you build for the long term with resiliency, integrity, and vision, you earn the chance to partner with the most important institutions in the world. 

It may have taken twenty years from the time we snapped that photo, but dreams do come true. And when they do, they’re worth the wait. 

Resources

• Blog: What Is Digital Currency? Types, Risks, and How to Protect Yourself
• Report: 2025 AI Trends in Fraud and Financial Crime Prevention
• Report: Extracting Business Value from External Data
• Solution: RiskOps. Unify All Risk Signals to Stop FinCrime.
• News: Feedzai Selected to Safeguard the Digital Euro, Announces $2 Billion Valuation in New $75 Million Investment Round