China’s cabinet will review a roadmap that includes yuan-pegged stablecoins to bolster yuan internationalization, sources told Reuters. China, one of the most restrictive global jurisdictions for cryptocurrencies, is reportedly considering allowing Chinese yuan-backed stablecoins in what would be a major policy reversal. Chinese authorities may authorize yuan-backed stablecoins for the first time to promote global use of its currency, Reuters reported on Wednesday, citing sources familiar with the matter. If approved, China’s plan for stablecoin use would mark a major shift in its approach to crypto after the country banned crypto trading and mining in September 2021. Read more
Central bank stimulus in China and global investors’ response to recession fears will determine if altseason continues. Key takeaways: China’s central bank stimulus could redirect liquidity into cryptocurrencies. Rising US Treasury yields suggest lower risk aversion, supporting potential recovery in altcoin markets. Read more
China’s security agency warned that biometric data collection by crypto firms, including iris scans, may endanger personal privacy and be exploited for espionage. China warned of the increasing use of biometric data by crypto-linked projects, cautioning that iris-scanning programs operating under the guise of digital asset distribution may threaten personal privacy and even national security. In a public security bulletin published Wednesday, China’s Ministry of State Security (MSS) outlined several emerging risks associated with biometric recognition technologies, including facial, fingerprint and iris data collection. The MSS cited an unidentified overseas company that, “under the guise of issuing cryptocurrency tokens, scanned and collected iris information from users worldwide and then transferred the data source.” Officials said this posed “a threat to personal information security and even national security.” Read more
China’s plan to liquidate confiscated crypto through Hong Kong exchanges isn’t simply a policy — it’s to control global digital asset markets and outmaneuver the US. Opinion by: Joshua Chu, co-chair of the Hong Kong Web3 Association Last week’s announcement of Hong Kong’s LEAP Digital Assets Policy Statement 2.0 was made with much anticipation and fanfare. The government of Hong Kong promised a comprehensive regulatory framework that will unify licensing and “expand the suite of tokenised products.” Yet beneath the hype and visible maneuvers lies a far more consequential move: Beijing’s (the world’s second largest holder of crypto) announcement of its intention to liquidate confiscated virtual currencies through Hong Kong’s licensed exchanges. These events, while seemingly separate, are actually components of a carefully orchestrated strategy by China, designed to position Hong Kong as the dominant virtual asset hub and China’s strategic market operator. Read more
China state TV bashes Trump’s crypto policies in 30-minute special. New Telegram dark markets tie with Huione’s infrastructure. Asia Express. CCTV, Chinas state broadcasting mouthpiece, aired a half-hour special on cryptocurrencies and how the US is attempting to solidify dollar dominance with stablecoins. The July 27 broadcast framed the new US stablecoin legislation GENIUS Act, as a geopolitical turning point. CCTV pinpointed that the new rules explicitly ban a Federal Reserveissued central bank digital currency (CBCD) while allowing stablecoins to export US debt in digital form. The broadcaster said stablecoins backed by US Treasury bonds represent the third phase of dollar hegemony after Bretton Woods gold and Middle Eastern oil. In this model, crypto users across the globe become indirect holders of US government debt, while stablecoin issuers emerge as the next generation of bond superbuyers. The program warned that this digital infrastructure could displace weaker currencies. Read more
China’s JD.com announced plans for a Hong Kong dollar stablecoin last summer and is now expected to be among the first issuers under HKMA’s stablecoin regime. China-based e-commerce giant JD.com has reportedly registered entities tied to a potential stablecoin rollout just days ahead of Hong Kong’s stablecoin regulations going into effect. JD.com, often referred to as China’s Amazon, has registered two potential stablecoin-linked entities, Jcoin and Joycoin, through its fintech subsidiary, JD Coinlink Technology, according to a report by Hong Kong news outlet Ming Pao on Tuesday. JD Coinlink is one of the official participants in the stablecoin issuer sandbox program by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), which launched last year. Read more
A US bankruptcy court is set to decide whether to block creditor payouts to certain countries after receiving nearly 70 objections from creditors in China, Saudi Arabia and more. Update (July 18, 1:30 pm UTC): This article has been updated to correct the number of filed objections to the motion. The FTX creditor community is awaiting a ruling next week that could let the FTX bankruptcy estate freeze payouts to creditors in “restricted countries,” including China. On Tuesday, the US Bankruptcy Court in Delaware is expected to rule on a motion that could allow the FTX estate to withhold payouts to creditors in 49 countries it has labeled as “restricted jurisdictions.” Read more
Local authorities and state-owned publications in mainland China are increasingly calling on the government not to dismiss the increasing global adoption of stablecoins. Mainland China, one of the most restrictive global jurisdictions for cryptocurrencies, is reportedly showing signs of a shift in tone regarding stablecoins amid new developments in Shanghai. The Shanghai State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (SASAC) has held a meeting to discuss strategic responses to stablecoins and digital currencies, Reuters reported on Friday. Following the Thursday meeting, SASAC director He Qing called for “greater sensitivity to emerging technologies and enhanced research into digital currencies,” in a post on the authority’s official account. Read more
China’s Chang’an blockchain hits 100K TPS — but don’t mention “crypto”, Japan’s Minna Bank looks to issue stablecoins on Solana, Asia Express Beijings state media is rallying behind Changan Chain, a homegrown blockchain infrastructure hailed as a solution to Chinas root problem of digital sovereignty. A profile on Qianlong.com credits researcher Dong Jin and his team for building a fully open-source and state-backed blockchain stack now powering national digital projects. Though little-known outside China, Changan Chain has gone through 21 iterations over six years and now claims to handle over 100,000 transactions per second a benchmark often cited by next-generation blockchains aiming to match the scale of traditional financial networks. It is reportedly being used in Chinas nationwide real estate registration system and by companies to digitize supply contracts, allowing banks to verify supplier relationships and accelerate loan approvals. Read more
In 2025, governments hold over 463,000 BTC, with the US and China leading, while countries like Bhutan, Iran and the UK quietly build strategic reserves. Roughly 463,000 BTC — or about 2.3% of Bitcoin’s total supply — is currently held by governments around the world, according to publicly available blockchain data and legal disclosures. While that might sound like a small percentage, it equates to tens of billions of dollars in sovereign Bitcoin wealth, giving Bitcoin (BTC) a growing role in national asset strategies and state-level accumulation. Read more
The venture capitalist warned that virtually all artificial intelligence platforms are being developed in either China or the United States. Marc Andreessen, co-founder of the Andreessen-Horowitz venture capital (VC) firm, said that the current race to establish dominance in the artificial intelligence sector is analogous to the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union in the second half of the 20th Century. In an interview with Jack Altman on the Uncapped Podcast, the VC said different jurisdictions and cultures will likely demand AI models trained on material aligned with their notions of acceptable social organization. Andreessen told Altman: The VC said that AI will be the "future control layer for everything," acting as the interface human beings use to access critical infrastructure and services across the healthcare, education, transportation, and legal domains. Read more
Thailand sees 44% fall in Chinese tourists after crypto scam backlash, Japan to urge G7 to tackle North Korean crypto hackers. Asia Express. Chinese academics are warning that the growth of stablecoins is a rising threat to China’s monetary sovereignty by enshrining the global dominance of the US dollar. A commentary in China Economic Times argues that the rise of crypto comes with implications for sovereign credit systems, global governance models and the future of money. China Economic Times is a daily newspaper sponsored by the Development Research Center of the State Council, one of the countrys highest-ranking policy research bodies. Government officials are part of the paper’s main reader base, and commentaries published by the paper often aim to influence or advise on economic strategy. Read more