Quick answer: China will build a national blockchain network under guidelines from the CPC Central Committee and State Council published on Oct. 9, 2026, per Xinhua and gov.cn. It is state-run infrastructure for data and industry, not a green light for crypto: the 2021 ban on crypto trading and mining still applies.
China has ordered a China national blockchain network as part of its long-term growth plan. The move puts blockchain at the heart of state infrastructure, yet it leaves the country’s crypto ban fully intact.
What did Beijing announce on Oct. 9, 2026?
The Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council issued the “Opinions on Developing New Quality Productive Forces.” The full text went up on the central government portal on Oct. 9, 2026, at 10:16 UTC. Xinhua then reported on Oct. 10 that the plan sets out 19 measures across five areas.
The blockchain line sits in measure nine, on merging the digital and real economies. It tells officials to build “a nationwide integrated computing power network and a national blockchain network.” The same item lists the “East Data, West Computing” project, smart manufacturing and the industrial internet. PANews was among the first crypto outlets to flag the wording.
What is the China national blockchain network?
Put simply, it is a state-planned base layer for data, identity and records. A June 18, 2026 draft rule from the Cyberspace Administration, published by Xinhua, defines it as blockchain infrastructure “planned and built by the state” with unified technical standards and access rules. That draft also links the network to a digital identity system that works across platforms.
The idea is not new. China’s Blockchain-based Service Network (BSN) began commercial service on April 25, 2020, led by the State Information Center with China Mobile and China UnionPay. The new guidelines lift that work into a top-level national plan.
How is it different from Bitcoin or Ethereum?
The key difference is control. Public chains such as Bitcoin let anyone run a node and hold a token. By contrast, China’s network uses permissioned access, approved operators and state rules. Therefore, there is no open, tradable coin at its core.
Does this mean China is lifting its crypto ban?
No. In September 2021, ten Chinese agencies, including the central bank, declared all crypto trading and mining illegal, Reuters reported. Nothing in the new guidelines changes that. They do not mention Bitcoin, stablecoins or exchanges.
Instead, the message matches Beijing’s long-held line: back the technology, restrict the tokens. It sits beside other state efforts, such as the digital yuan, that keep money flows under central control.
Why does it matter for crypto markets?
For now, the direct market effect looks small. Bitcoin traded at about $82,749 on Oct. 10 at 13:55 UTC, up 0.2% in 24 hours, per CoinGecko. You can track it on our Bitcoin price page.
Some China-linked tokens moved more. Conflux (CFX) rose about 10.6% to $0.0546 and NEO gained about 5.4% to $2.49 over the same window, CoinGecko data show. However, we found no confirmed link between those moves and the guidelines. Traders often buy “China narrative” coins on headlines like this, and those rallies can fade fast.
The bigger signal is long term. A national ledger for data, trade records and identity could raise demand for enterprise blockchain work. It also adds to a global trend of governments building their own rails, as seen in Russia’s licensed crypto exchange plan and the growth of tokenized stocks on public chains.
Our take: state chains and open chains will run side by side
Beijing wants blockchain’s audit trail without open money. That model will likely spread among states that prefer control, while open networks keep serving users who want self-custody. For readers outside China, nothing changes today. Still, watch for the detailed rules that usually follow such guidelines, plus any Hong Kong moves, since the city runs its own licensed crypto regime. For the basics of how state-linked digital money compares with private coins, see our stablecoins explainer.
Not financial advice. Crypto is volatile; always do your own research (DYOR).
China National Blockchain Network FAQ
What is the China national blockchain network?
It is a state-planned, permissioned blockchain infrastructure with unified standards and access rules, according to a June 18, 2026 Cyberspace Administration draft published by Xinhua. Beijing’s Oct. 9, 2026 guidelines order it built next to a nationwide computing power network.
Is crypto legal in China now?
No. Ten Chinese agencies declared crypto trading and mining illegal in September 2021, per Reuters. The Oct. 9, 2026 guidelines do not change that ban and do not mention Bitcoin, stablecoins or exchanges.
Will the national blockchain network have its own token?
Nothing in the guidelines or the June 2026 draft describes a public, tradable token. The network is designed for data, identity and industrial records under state rules, unlike open chains such as Bitcoin or Ethereum.
Did crypto prices react to the news?
Bitcoin was nearly flat at about $82,749 on Oct. 10, 2026, per CoinGecko. China-linked tokens Conflux and NEO rose about 10.6% and 5.4%, but no direct link to the guidelines has been confirmed.
Sources
- Opinions on Developing New Quality Productive Forces, full text (gov.cn, Oct. 9, 2026)
- China issues guidelines on developing new quality productive forces (Xinhua, Oct. 10, 2026)
- CPC Central Committee and State Council: build a national blockchain network (PANews)
- Draft rules on distributed digital identity (Cyberspace Administration via Xinhua, June 18, 2026)
- BSN commercial launch (State Information Center, April 25, 2020)
- China’s top regulators ban crypto trading and mining (Reuters, Sept. 24, 2021)
- CoinGecko market data (Oct. 10, 2026, 13:55 UTC)
