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February 12, 2026
On the web
Alipay AI Pay Solution Hits 120M Transactions as Chinese Shoppers Tap Agentic Commerce
Retail Technology Innovation Hub
"Alipay reports that AI Pay, a solution that enables payment through AI agents, exceeded 120 million transactions in the past week. Launched in 2025, this has expanded into various use cases, including AI agents in apps and mini programmes for bricks and mortar retailers like Luckin Coffee, as well as in AI smart glasses like Rokid. In December, Alipay collaborated with Rokid to enable developers to integrate AI payment into the AI agents they build on Rokid’s Lingzhu platform."
February 11, 2026
On the web
China’s First Group of Migrant Workers Gets Paid in Digital Yuan
Yicai Global
"Migrant workers at a construction site in Chengdu have become the first in China to receive their wages in e-yuan, the official digital currency issued by the country’s central bank. Bank of Communications paid more than CNY1 million (USD140,000) in wages to 104 migrant workers. BOC used the e-yuan smart contract ecosystem service platform. The bank opened an e-yuan corporate wallet for the project's general contractor and embedded a smart payroll contract, achieving closed-loop management and direct full payment of wages, thereby preventing potential misappropriation or diversion of funds at the source."
February 6, 2026
On the web
The Global Payments Reset Has Begun - And It’s Not Coming From Banks
Exchange Rates
"China’s central bank has signalled a major shift in digital-currency policy. Under a new action plan published by the People’s Bank of China, the digital yuan moves from “digital cash” to a form of deposit money: commercial banks will pay interest on e-CNY balances from 1 January 2026 and deposits will be covered by deposit insurance. The plan integrates digital-currency liabilities into banks’ asset-liability management and reserve-requirement frameworks."
February 3, 2026
On the web
China’s Digital Yuan Enters ‘2.0 Era;’ Set to Focus On Application Scenario Deepening, Ecosystem Building, Analysts Say
Global Times
"On January 1, with the launch of an action plan by the People's Bank of China (PBC), the country's central bank, which lays out a new framework for the digital yuan, the digital yuan officially entered into the 2.0 era. An important feature unlocked by the 2.0 version is interest accrual based on demand deposit rates. The upgrade makes the digital yuan the world's first interest-bearing central bank digital currency and signals that e-CNY is moving from "digital cash" to "digital deposits."
January 22, 2026
On the web
Chinese Tech Giants Launch Agentic Commerce Push
The Tech Buzz
"China's tech giants are charging ahead in the AI arms race with a bold new play: turning chatbots into autonomous shopping assistants. Alibaba just overhauled its Qwen AI chatbot to handle end-to-end transactions—from food orders to flight bookings to payments—all without users leaving the chat interface. ByteDance and Tencent aren't far behind."
January 20, 2026
Top Post
Why Chinas Interest-Bearing CBDC Changes Global Playbook
India
"On January 1, 2026, China crossed a line most central banks have deliberately avoided. The digital yuan (e-CNY) began paying interest. According to Reuters, verified wallet holders will now earn interest at demand deposit rates under a new management framework that took effect the same day. This is a deliberate digital payments policy choice that reshapes how people decide where money sits. An interest-bearing CBDC competes directly with deposits, pulling monetary design closer to the banking core rather than keeping it at the edges."
January 16, 2026
On the web
China-Led Cross-Border Digital Currency Platform Sees Surge in Transactions
The Business Times
"Transactions on a new China-led digital currency platform have surged to over US$55 billion, a new report shows. It is the latest sign that efforts to build alternatives to US-dollar-dependent global payment systems are gaining traction. Data crunched by the Washington-based Atlantic Council showed the prototype mBridge platform had now processed more than 4,000 cross-border transactions. It is being tested by central banks in China, Thailand and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), among others."
January 15, 2026
On the web
China’s Digital Yuan Architect Accused of $8M Crypto Bribery Scheme
Cryptonews
"Yao Qian, the former architect of China’s digital yuan, accepted crypto bribes worth over $8 million while holding senior regulatory positions, Chinese state media revealed this week. The case exposes how corrupt officials exploited the same blockchain technology Yao helped develop to conceal illicit transactions through hardware wallets and anonymous transfers."
January 7, 2026
On the web
China’s First CBDC Oil Purchase Is a Warning for Crypto
Weiss Ratings
"China has been buying oil using its yuan, rather than U.S. dollars, since 2023. But this marked the first time it used its own Central Bank Digital Currency to do so. The ramifications of this move will ripple through multiple markets. But we’ll likely see the first impacts hit right at home on the blockchain."
January 6, 2026
Top Post
Digital Yuan Morphs From CBDC Into Digital Bank Deposits to Rival Stablecoins
Ledger Insights
"The retail digital yuan is no longer a central bank digital currency. China’s version 2.0 upgrade, launched 1 January 2026, has transformed it into a commercial bank deposit solution where retail balances become liabilities of the holding institution – whether a bank or non-bank payment provider."
On the web
UnionPay Intros Nihao China App
ATM Marketplace
"UnionPay launched the "Nihao China" mobile application Friday at the China International Travel Mart, aiming to centralize payment and transit services for foreign visitors, according to a press release. The digital platform allows international travelers to register via email or Apple ID and link foreign-issued bank cards, including UnionPay, Visa and Mastercard. The app integrates the three major domestic payment networks — UnionPay, Alipay and WeChat Pay."
December 2, 2025
On the web
China Closes Door on Stablecoin Adoption
Ledger Insights
"The People’s Bank of China announced it convened a meeting of several Chinese agencies to combat speculation in cryptocurrencies, and especially stablecoins. Most of China’s justice and legal agencies were involved alongside the regulators for markets, securities and foreign exchange. The key message is that there is no change in stance on cryptocurrencies and stablecoins, so the crackdown announced in 2021 is still in force and inter-agency coordination should be enhanced. “Virtual currency-related business activities constitute illegal financial activities,” according to the central bank statement."
December 1, 2025
On the web
China’s Central Bank Reaffirms Crypto Ban, Flags Stablecoin Risks Following Multi-Agency Meeting
The Block
"China’s central bank reaffirmed its stance that digital assets have no legal status in the country following a multi-agency meeting on Friday. The PBoC specifically flagged stablecoins as failing to meet anti-money laundering and customer identification requirements, calling them a threat to financial stability."
October 27, 2025
On the web
China’s Digital Yuan CBDC Processes $2 Trillion
Ledger Insights
"The People’s Bank of China reported that digital yuan payment volumes nearly doubled over the past 14 months, reaching RMB 14.2 trillion ($2 trillion) through September 2025, up from RMB 7.3 trillion in July 2024. The CBDC figures represent a significant acceleration in adoption of the central bank digital currency. The surge in volume comes alongside explosive wallet growth."
October 6, 2025
On the web
Shanghai Digital Yuan Center Propels China’s Ambition in Global Payment Systems
Yahoo
"The People’s Bank of China (PBOC) has established a new digital yuan operations center in the nation’s financial hub, Shanghai, in a move to foster the internationalisation of the yuan."
September 26, 2025
On the web
Shanghai Digital Yuan Center Propels China’s Ambition in Global Payment Systems – Here’s How
Yahoo Finance-Cryptonews
The People’s Bank of China has established a new digital yuan operations center in the nation’s financial hub, Shanghai, in a move to foster the internationalisation of the yuan. The digital yuan hub comes amid growing tensions with the US trade and tech issues. The move looks to reduce reliance on a US dollar-dominated financial system.
September 18, 2025
On the web
Ant International Becomes China’s First Foreign Payment Gateway Partner
Electronic Payments International
"Ant International has been appointed as an inaugural foreign Institution Partner (FIP) for China’s Cross-border Interconnection Payment Gateway (CPG), a scheme overseen by the People’s Bank of China and the Payment & Clearing Association of China (PCAC). Under the arrangement, Alipay+ — Ant International’s cross-border payment and digital services arm — will use the direct connection to broaden its partner network and international reach."
August 28, 2025
On the web
mBridge Cross Border CBDC Project Enters Next Phase in China
Ledger Insights
"Over the past couple of months there have been an increasing number of announcements about Chinese banks executing cross border payments using mBridge, the cross border CBDC initiative. The project was originally an initiative of the BIS Innovation Hub in Hong Kong in conjunction with the central banks of Hong Kong, Thailand, China and the UAE. It is a DLT solution that sidesteps Swift for cross border payments, enabling the final settlement of payments within seconds and reportedly at half the cost."
August 15, 2025
On the wires
RayNeo and Ant Group Forge Strategic Partnership to Advance AR Glasses Innovations in Payments and Beyond
Business Wire
"RayNeo X3 Pro AR glasses are the first to support payments through both the merchant terminal and QR code, powered by Alipay’s multidimensional risk-control solution for AR glasses.The two parties will expand AR glasses applications across various daily services, with the goal of making AR glasses an essential part of daily life and a true personal assistant on the go."
August 13, 2025
On the web
China Eyes RMB Stablecoin To Challenge Dollar Dominance After CBDC Plans Stall
CCN
"After years of promoting its central bank digital currency (CBDC), China is quietly changing course. The e-CNY, once touted as the future of digital payments in the country, has lost momentum. This is due in part to slow adoption and a recent corruption scandal involving its key architect. Now, officials are warming up to a more flexible alternative: stablecoins."
July 2, 2025
On the web
The Yuan's Digital Leap: Betting on China's Stablecoin Ambitions in a Dollar-Dominated World
AInvest
"The global financial system is on the cusp of a seismic shift as China accelerates its push to tokenize the yuan through digital currency initiatives. With the U.S. dollar still dominating 80% of global payments, Beijing's efforts to internationalize the yuan via its digital counterpart—the e-CNY (digital yuan)—and yuan-backed stablecoins are no mere technical experiment."
June 23, 2025
On the wires
Alipay+ Launches World’s First Smart Glasses-Embedded Payment Solution
Business Wired
"After Alipay debuted a smart glasses payment solution with Rokid in China, Alipay+, the unified wallet gateway service under Ant International, announced the Alipay+ smart glasses-embedded payment solution for global e-wallets. In collaboration with Meizu, a global industry leader, Alipay+ completed the world's first real-world smart glasses-embedded e-wallet payment transaction in Hong Kong."
June 19, 2025
Top Post
Standard Bank First in Africa to Offer Access to China’s Cross-Border Interbank Payment System
TechAfrica News
"In a first for the continent, Standard Bank Corporate and Investment Banking is the first authorised bank to offer transactions through China’s Cross-Border Interbank Payment System (CIPS). The payment system will allow for interbank payments between Africa and China using Chinese Renminbi (RMB) as the underpinning currency."
June 18, 2025
On the web
CIPS Signs Direct Participant Agreements With Six Foreign Institutions, Facilitating Use of Yuan in Cross-Border Transactions
Global Times
"China's Cross-Border Interbank Payment System (CIPS) signed direct participant agreements with six foreign institutions in Shanghai, marking the first time that the system's overseas foreign direct participant coverage extends to offshore yuan centers in Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, and Singapore, which will facilitate the use of the yuan in cross-border transactions, China Media Group reported."
On the wires
China Talks up Digital Yuan in Push for Multi-Polar Currency System
Reuters
"The head of China's central bank pledged to expand the international use of the digital yuan and called for the development of a multi-polar global currency system, where several currencies dominate the world economy. China will establish an international operation centre for e-CNY in Shanghai, People's Bank of China Governor Pan Gongsheng said on Wednesday at the Lujiazui Forum, a high-profile gathering of local and foreign financial industry executives and regulators."
April 16, 2025
On the web
China, Vietnam Promote Interconnectivity of QR Code Payments
YiCaiglobal
"China and Vietnam have agreed to promote cross-border QR code payments, based on the consensus reached by the two countries’ central banks on two-way connectivity cooperation. China UnionPay International, National Payment Corporation of Vietnam, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, and Vietcombank, signed a deal on April 14 to promote reciprocal acceptance of QR code payments, the People’s Bank of China announced yesterday."
March 14, 2025
On the web
Rise of Digital Wallets Integrating Payments and Digital Identities Across Asia
Biometric Update
Digital payment wallets are advancing financial transactions, with China’s Alipay and WeChat Pay, India’s Paytm and PhonePe, and Indonesia’s GoPay leading the way in mobile payments. Some countries are now linking digital identity and payments, including China Alipay’s digital ID integration, Singapore SingPass’ financial services extension, and India’s Aadhaar-linked united payment interface (UPI) wallets to create a single digital landscape.
February 5, 2025
On the wires
Alipay Records Surge of China Inbound and Outbound Travel Spending During the 2025 Chinese New Year
Business Wire
"During the 2025 Chinese New Year, Alipay recorded a significant increase in China’s outbound and inbound travel spending. Through the Alipay+ cross-border mobile payment and digitalization solutions, Chinese travelers, along with users of the other 34 e-wallets in Asia and Europe, can use their own home payment app across 66 markets without the need to exchange currency or carry cash."
January 17, 2025
On the web
Alipay Bears Cost of System Error That Applied Discounts to User Transactions
South China Morning Post
"Alipay, China’s leading mobile payments platform, will bear the expense from unexpected losses that it incurred on Thursday, when a system error gave a 20 per cent discount to an undisclosed number of user transactions."
January 16, 2025
On the web
Beijing Introduces Dedicated Mobile Payments Devices for Foreign Visitors
NFCW
"Travellers arriving at Beijing Capital Airport are now able to rent a dedicated mobile payments and local communications device from a service desk in the Terminal 3 arrivals hall, making it quick and easy to access local mobile payments services during their visit to China."
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