China Expands Crypto Ban to Include Stablecoins and Tokenization
China's regulatory crackdown on cryptocurrencies has intensified, with authorities now targeting stablecoins and the tokenization of real-world assets. The People's Bank of China and the China Securities Regulatory Commission jointly issued a notice explicitly prohibiting unauthorized issuance of RMB-pegged stablecoins abroad and reinforcing the ban on virtual currency-related activities.
Monetary sovereignty concerns underpin the new restrictions, as regulators view stablecoins mimicking legal tender as threats to financial stability. The notice marks the first explicit prohibition on Chinese businesses—or their foreign subsidiaries—from issuing virtual currencies globally without government approval.
This escalation follows China's 2021 blanket ban on cryptocurrency trading and mining. The latest measures create additional compliance hurdles for blockchain projects with Chinese ties while further isolating the country's financial system from global crypto markets.