The People’s Bank of China (PBoC) announced that its new Action Plan on Further Strengthening the Management, Service System, and Related Financial Infrastructure Construction of the Digital Yuan took effect on January 1, 2026, signaling that the digital yuan has institutionally entered China’s bank and currency finance system.
Based on the action plan, the digital yuan has developed from a cash payment tool to a form of currency that is interest-bearing, manageable and accessible to the financial safety network.
The action plan focuses on enhancing the technical architecture, expanding application scenarios and improving interoperability with existing financial systems.
According to the PBoC, by the end of November 2025, the digital yuan was involved in 3.48 billion transactions with a cumulative transaction volume of 16.7 trillion yuan (US$2.4t). Chinese individuals have opened 230 million digital yuan wallets through apps, and companies and organizations have opened more than 18 million digital yuan wallets.
Experts said that the action plan is a milestone in accelerating the digital yuan’s integration into economic activities, and it will enrich China’s payment infrastructure and increase China’s say on global governance of digital currencies.
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