Skip to main content
Newspapers
Press & Media

Bluecode Newsroom

Latest announcements, background information, and press materials about Bluecode.

Bluecode on LinkedIn

News at a glance

The latest insights from the Bluecode world – concise and directly from our LinkedIn feed.

Jul 2, 2026
Christian Pirkner on stage of Frankfurt Digital Finance
European Payments

What does sovereignty actually mean? In the context of payments, according to Christian Pirkner, sovereignty is a set of clearly defined criteria. A payment system can only be considered sovereign if the critical elements that govern and enable it – from ownership and governance to the SDK, token service and payment kernel – are under European control. Watch this clip from Chris’ keynote at Frankfurt Digital Finance, where he shares his perspective on what true payment sovereignty means – and why every single building block matters. 👇

#Bluecode #PaymentSovereignty #DigitalSovereignty #EuropeanPayments #Fintech

Jun 25, 2026
Two Smartphones showing Bluecode Screens. One shows a QR code and available partner networks in South Korea, the other one shows the success screen after a payment.
News

Bluecode Payment Roaming with Alipay+ is now live on all 5 continents! 🌍 We are expanding global payment acceptance through our interoperability with Alipay+, enabling users of participating #Bluecode issuing members to make secure cross-border mobile payments in 60 destinations worldwide at millions of merchants, including some of the most popular travel destinations for Europeans beyond Europe, such as: 🇰🇭 Cambodia 🇭🇰 Hong Kong 🇯🇵 Japan 🇲🇾 Malaysia 🇸🇬 Singapore 🇰🇷 South Korea What started with cross-border acceptance across Europe has now expanded across the globe, giving European travellers a seamless alternative to traditional card payments and allowing them to truly "pay like a local" abroad. Just as mobile phone users can stay connected abroad through roaming agreements between telecom operators, Payment Roaming allows consumers to use Bluecode seamlessly across borders. With further expansion planned, coverage is set to grow to even more markets worldwide, continuing to build a truly global acceptance grid for European payments.

#Bluecode #Europe #Sovereignty #Interoperability #PaymentRoaming #DigitalPayments #Payment #Fintech

Jun 23, 2026
Two Smartphones with Screens of the Bluecode App. One shows the payment screen with the NFC card, the other one shows the success screen after the payment.
News

📣 European payment sovereignty meets global interoperability With the launch of NFC payments on both iOS and Android, Bluecode is taking a major step forward: scaling acceptance globally while keeping the transaction rooted in Europe. This is what “sovereignty by design” looks like in payments: a European scheme that doesn’t isolate itself, but connects intelligently, on European terms. Through its “Payment Roaming” approach and collaboration with Discover Network, Bluecode enables European banks to offer NFC payments that work across millions of merchants worldwide, starting with Eurozone coverage. What makes this different is the architecture: 🔹 European scheme transaction for the payer and the bank 🔹 European SDK and token infrastructure 🔹 Allows transaction processing to remain in Europe 🔹 Pan-European and global acceptance via interoperability, not dependency 🔹 Data stays in Europe according to GDPR A practical path forward for a truly European payment system: built in Europe, governed in Europe, and accepted beyond borders.

#Bluecode #Interoperability #PaymentRoaming #EuropeanPayments

Jun 10, 2026
Screenshot of an Article from Süddeutsche Zeitung with the title "The european payment network already exists"
Photo of the Süddeutsche Zeitung with an article about Bluecode. Next to the newspaper, the bill and a phone with the success screen of the Bluecode app.
Zoom on the bill of the newspaper. The bill says "Payment Contactless Bluecode"
Blue screen with text "Read more. Süddeutsche Zeitung."
Article

Süddeutsche Zeitung says: “The European payment network already exists.” And that’s Bluecode. So we did the only logical thing: bought the newspaper at a local newsstand – and paid with Bluecode, of course. 😊 There’s something satisfying about buying a newspaper covering the topic of European payment sovereignty using a European payment network that already works in everyday life. Not in theory. Not in a concept deck. Not in a future rollout. In practice. Because while the discussion continues, the reality is already here. Europe doesn’t need to start from scratch – a lot of what’s being talked about can already be done today by connecting and using existing infrastructure. The time is now. What are we waiting for? It’s here. Pay with Bluecode. 👉🏻Read the full article by Nils Heck (German, subscription required): https://lnkd.in/eUQREQFA

#Bluecode #EuropeanPayments #EuropeanSovereignty #Payments #Interoperability

May 28, 2026
Christian Pirkner in an office setting with an overlay of the question "Why should a financial institution cooperate with Bluecode?"
European Payments

How can financial institutions offer their customers a truly European way to pay? As the demand for greater European sovereignty grows, banks have an opportunity to strengthen their offering with a European payment solution that can be integrated directly into their existing banking app. At the same time, customers benefit from a European payment option that works across Europe and beyond. ▶️ Watch the video to hear Christian Pirkner's perspective.

#Bluecode #Payments #EuropeanPayments #DigitalPayments #EuropeanSovereignty

May 21, 2026
Bluecode Team at VI3NNA Congress
Christian Pirkner at VI3NNA Congress
Bluecode Roll-up at VI3NNA Congress
Bluecode Team at VI3NNA Congress
Bluecode Team at VI3NNA Congress
Events

Great days at VI3NNA Congress 2026 🎤 Our team – Christian Pirkner, Christian Lechner, Mario Linzbauer, Peter Neubauer and Claudio Wilhelmer – represented Bluecode on site and joined discussions around the future of payments, digital assets and financial infrastructure. Chris’ keynote on “Payment Interoperability: A Disruptive Way to Enable Stablecoin Payments at Point of Sale” highlighted our view: We believe interoperability offers a powerful path to connect stablecoins with existing payment acceptance networks. It enables real-world usage at the point of sale through an independent approach that keeps things simple for merchants and consumers alike. Chris also joined the roundtable discussions on AI & Digital Assets in Banking & Finance and EU vs Global Innovation & Free Zones, contributing to conversations on the evolving regulatory and innovation landscape. Thanks to the VI3NNA Congress team and everyone we met for the valuable discussions. 📸 Credit: VI3NNA Congress

#VI3NNACongress #Bluecode #Payments #Stablecoins #Interoperability

May 11, 2026
Christian Pirkner on stage of Frankfurt Digitial Finance
Interoperability

We often talk about Payment Roaming as the key to a connected payment landscape. But what does that actually mean? And why do we call it that? 💡 🌐📱 Think about mobile roaming. You have a contract with a provider in your home country. When you travel abroad, your phone automatically connects to a local network – without you doing anything or even noticing. It works because providers cooperate behind the scenes. Bluecode has taken this principle and brought it to payments. The result: Users pay seamlessly across payment networks worldwide, just as effortlessly as their phone connects to a local network when traveling. The uniqueness of Bluecode Payment Roaming: For users and issuing banks, every transaction remains a European transaction – independent of where the payment occurs – ensuring security, privacy-first processing, and full compliance with European data protection standards. 📺👇 Learn the Payment Roaming basics from Chris himself on stage of Frankfurt Digital Finance.

#Bluecode #PaymentRoaming #Interoperability #EuropeanPayments

May 7, 2026
Bluecode Team at EHI Payment Kongress
Christian Pirkner on stage at EHI Payment Kongress
Events

🎤 The future of European payments is already here! At this year’s EHI Payment Congress in Bonn, our CEO Christian Pirkner took the stage to deliver a keynote on a topic that’s becoming more urgent than ever: European sovereignty in payments. His message was clear: Europe doesn’t need to start from scratch — the solution already exists. With Bluecode, a pan-European payment scheme is not just a vision, but a ready-to-scale reality. Alongside the keynote, our team — Daniel Koenen, Mario Linzbauer, and Christian Pirkner — was on site to connect with partners, exchange perspectives, and drive forward collaboration across the ecosystem. Thanks to EHI Retail Institute & Philipp Hübner, Oliver Behrens, Caroline Coelsch for hosting another great congress! Scroll through for some impressions from the day! 📷

#EHIPaymentKongress #MobilePayment #Fintech #EuropeanPayment #Sovereignty #Bluecode

Apr 29, 2026
Christian Pirkner
European Payments

How will the European payment landscape look in 2030? 🎙️🔮 Christian Pirkner shares his perspective on what lies ahead for payments in Europe: Truly European ways to pay that work seamlessly across Europe and beyond. His take on how we get there: interoperability. Connecting systems, enabling collaboration, and making sure European solutions can scale globally. Watch the full video 👇

#Bluecode #Payments #EuropeanPayments #Interoperability

Mar 30, 2026
Vorschau Brutkasten Artikel über Bluecode
Article

💡🗞️ Worth a read! We’re featured in the latest brutkasten magazine. In the article, Maximilian Handl takes a closer look at the current state of Europe’s payment landscape - including structural challenges, dependencies on international providers, and evolving consumer habits in Austria. He spoke with Christian Pirkner about Bluecode’s perspectives and the road ahead. Read the online version of the article here (in German) 👉🏻 https://lnkd.in/d8MBZ4BE

#Bluecode #EuropeanPayments #PaymentRoaming #Interoperability

From the Newsroom

What drives Bluecode

Press releases and company news.

In brief

About Bluecode

Bluecode is a European mobile payment system enabling cashless payments via barcode, QR code, and NFC directly out of digital wallets, bank and partner apps into the largest point-of-sale payment network in the world. Bluecode is either directly linked to the user’s bank account, digital wallet or used as a prepaid solution.

Bluecode collaborates with international networks such as Discover Network, Alipay+, and EMPSA (European Mobile Payment Systems Association) and implemented legal, technical and commercial interoperability with over 50 payment schemes around the world, building a global acceptance network of over 200 million merchants.

The Bluecode payment technology is available in the Bluecode app and can be integrated into any digital wallet, bank or partner app enabling payments globally at point of sale. One connection to the Bluecode scheme gives global payment reach.

Hand holding a smartphone against a blue background
Illustration of a security lock surrounded by EU stars

Made in Europe

Developed in Europe with a focus on independent payment infrastructure.

Illustration of a globe

Usable globally

Can be used worldwide through international partnerships.

Rocket

Seamlessly integrated

Can be integrated directly into digital wallets, banking apps, merchant apps, and other apps.

Deep Dive

European payments from the ground up

Christian Pirkner founded Bluecode with a clear conviction: Europe needs its own independent payment system.

As CEO, he drives the connection of payment systems in Europe and worldwide and speaks openly about what this means strategically – for banks, merchants, and Europe’s digital sovereignty. In podcasts, on stage, and in interviews – always with substance.

Christian Pirkner on the stage at Frankfurt Digital Finance. Text overlay "3 Steps to European Payment Sovereignty. Christian Pirkner at Frankfurt Digital Finance 2026"

Downloads

Photo of Christian Pirkner

CEO

Photos of Christian Pirkner (CEO)

Download
Bluecode logo on different backgrounds

Logos

The Bluecode logo for further use

Download
Photo of a hand holding a smartphone with the Bluecode App

Brand Guidelines

Guidelines for using the brand

Download
Personal contact

First-hand information

Whether you have an interview request, need background information, or require press materials – we are happy to help and look forward to speaking with you.

Claudio Wilhelmer | Press
press@bluecode.com
0043 (0)676 4959890

Photo of Claudio Wilhelmer