Home›Crypto›Market Structure›China expands its e-CNY network to 30 participating ba…

China expands its e-CNY network to 30 participating banks in 2026

The PBOC said the digital yuan wallet changes effective Jan. 1 made balances deposit liabilities, with banks required to pay interest to users.

Reported · Written up by our desk · Market Structure

China has substantially expanded the digital yuan, with the People’s Bank of China tripling its e-CNY network’s bank participants year-to-date and raising the total to 30 lenders.

According to CoinDesk, the central bank added 20 new operator institutions across two rounds of expansions in 2026, including eight additions this week, with names including Ping An Bank, Hengfeng Bank, Bank of Shanghai, and Bank of Hangzhou.

Under a framework effective Jan. 1, CoinDesk reports that digital yuan held in commercial wallets are now deposit liabilities, meaning banks must pay interest to users and balances are covered by deposit insurance.

CoinDesk also notes that China processed 3.48 billion digital yuan transactions worth 16.7 trillion yuan through November 2025, and the PBOC said it will keep adding operators under market-oriented and rule-based principles.

More like this

Sources