Now, holders of digital yuan stored in their electronic wallets will be able to earn income comparable to interest on demand deposits. This innovation transforms the digital yuan from simple "digital money" into "digital deposits," which analysts believe should increase interest in its use.
The People's Bank of China emphasized that this initiative would promote a more active adoption of e-CNY and improve its accessibility for the country's citizens. However, specific interest rates have not yet been disclosed.
To promote e-CNY on the international stage, the Chinese regulator has opened a global operations center in Shanghai. Currently, the digital yuan is mainly used by government institutions and large corporations, while most transactions on popular platforms like Alipay and WeChat Pay continue without the use of the digital yuan.
The development and testing of the digital yuan lasted nearly ten years. By the end of November 2025, approximately 3.5 billion transactions using this digital currency had been processed in the country.
