China's top leadership has ordered the construction of a national blockchain network, representing one of the most explicit endorsements of the technology Beijing has issued to date.
On October 9, 2026, the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council issued a policy document titled "Opinions on Developing New Quality Productive Forces," which state news agency Xinhua published on October 10. The document outlines 19 measures, with two headline goals being a national blockchain network and a nationwide integrated computing power network.
Stated Objectives
The initiative aims to tighten the link between the real economy and the digital economy through several fronts:
- Optimizing national data infrastructure
- Pushing manufacturing toward digitalization
- Supporting the "East Data, West Computing" project
- Building systems for data property rights, market transactions and interest protection
- Piloting markets that treat data as a regulated asset
The program directly involves 16 central government departments and 27 centrally administered state-owned enterprises.
Building on Existing Infrastructure
China is constructing this network on the foundation of the Blockchain-based Service Network, or BSN, which has operated since April 2020. The BSN is a state-governed network designed for compliant enterprises and explicitly prohibits tokens and crypto assets.
The new policy consolidates and monetizes infrastructure already in place while maintaining a clear stance against cryptocurrencies and public blockchain protocols. The initiative also extends existing blockchain and digital yuan capabilities, with the digital yuan serving as China's central bank digital currency. The integration is intended to facilitate cross-border trade.
Broader Context
The "East Data, West Computing" project, which routes data generated in China's economically dense eastern regions to computing centers in the west, is incorporated into the broader push toward intelligent manufacturing and industrial innovation.
The directive reflects Beijing's long-standing position that blockchain technology receives support as infrastructure while cryptocurrencies remain excluded from the framework. The data-as-an-asset approach introduces a model in which information is owned and traded under state oversight.
