Bulgaria became the eurozone's 21st member on January 1, 2026, triggering the simultaneous retirement of RINGS, BISERA6, and Blink. RINGS, the Bulgarian RTGS operated by the Bulgarian National Bank, ceased operations as high-value settlement migrated to T2. BISERA6, the bulk payment clearing system, was replaced by EBA Clearing's STEP2 service for SEPA credit transfers and direct debits.
The Bulgarian National Bank had connected Blink to the ECB's TIPS platform in December 2024, more than a year before the euro changeover. Bulgarian payment service providers began processing euro-denominated instant payments through TIPS during the transition period.
Bulgaria's migration is the second complete national payment infrastructure cutover to the Eurosystem in three years, following Croatia's accession in January 2023. Bulgarian banks and payment service providers now settle exclusively through T2, STEP2, and TIPS for domestic and cross-border euro payments.