Press Release on the Application Results of the Call to Join the Digital Turkish Lira Project Ecosystem (2026-33)

No: 2026-33

August 3, 2026

Press Release on the Application Results of the Call to Join the Digital Turkish Lira Project Ecosystem

The evaluation process of applications for the Call to Join the Digital Turkish Lira Project Ecosystem has been completed.

The Call to Join the Digital Turkish Lira Project Ecosystem (in Turkish only), which invited organizations from the finance and technology sectors to develop innovative products and use cases compatible with the digital Turkish lira, was open to applications from banks, and payment and electronic money institutions. Financial technology (Fintech) companies collaborating with the applicants were also included in the process.

The first stage of the three-stage application process took place between September 4 and October 15, 2025, during which 85 project applications were received. In response to the call, 16 banks and 25 payment and electronic money institutions submitted applications.

Based on the evaluations, the Central Bank of the Republic of Türkiye (CBRT) determined that, of the 85 applications, 51 that met the first-stage evaluation criteria would proceed to the second stage.

The second-stage applications for the call were submitted from November 13 to December 12, 2025. Following the evaluation of the documents submitted by the applicants and their presentations, 23 projects from 12 banks and 6 payment and electronic money institutions were deemed eligible for the third stage, at which development activities and sandbox testing will be conducted. Based on the second-stage evaluations, 6 projects have been placed on hold and may be considered for inclusion in the third stage at a later date.

A project can be associated with more than one category. The category distribution of the 23 projects that advanced to the third stage is as follows: 15 in Tokenization, 17 in Programmable Payments, 7 in Self-Sovereign Identity, 15 in Interoperability with Existing Systems, and 1 in Machine-to-Machine Payments.

The CBRT continues its efforts to promote public-private sector collaboration with respect to financial technologies and the digital Turkish lira.

Contact

For further information, please send an e-mail to basin@tcmb.gov.tr.