Beijing has directed authorities to build a state run national blockchain network, embedding the project inside a broader 19 point policy released on October 9 that aims to accelerate China’s integration of digital and real economy sectors. The directive appears in an official opinion jointly issued by the Communist Party Central Committee and the State Council, which lists the national blockchain network alongside a nationwide integrated computing power grid and other industrial digital upgrades.
What the new directive says
The policy frames the national blockchain network as part of a package of measures to promote “new quality productive forces.” It instructs relevant central bodies to optimize the layout, construction and operation of national data infrastructure and to carry out pilot projects that treat data as an economic resource. The blockchain commitment is embedded in sections that also mandate the expansion of the East Data West Computing programme, accelerated digital transformation of manufacturing, and the construction of a unified national computing power network.
Official documents and state media emphasize that these initiatives are aimed at deepening the integration of digital technologies into manufacturing, logistics, finance and public services, and at raising productivity through more standardized, interoperable infrastructure.
State controlled rails, not permissionless chains
Although the wording commits the government to a national blockchain network, the document does not open the door to permissionless public cryptocurrencies. China’s central ban on retail cryptocurrency trading and domestic mining activities remains a separate and enforced policy line. The new plan places blockchain alongside other sovereign infrastructure projects, making clear that the intent is to provide government supervised rails for enterprise, finance and cross border settlement use cases that are subject to national control and data governance rules.
Observers point out that China already operates state backed permissioned blockchain platforms such as the Blockchain Service Network, which were designed for enterprise applications and do not permit independent tokens. The new directive appears to scale and standardize that model at national level, rather than to legalize open market token trading inside mainland China.
Who will build and govern the network
The opinion assigns implementation and follow up to central economic and planning organs. It names mechanisms for cross department coordination, and signals that the Central Financial and Economic Affairs Commission and the National Development and Reform Commission will play coordinating roles on follow up rules. The precise operator model, node participation rules, audited governance arrangements and technical architecture were not specified in the text, leaving key operational questions to subordinate regulations and implementation plans to be published by the responsible agencies.
The policy also urges caution. It instructs local leaders and implementing bodies to avoid speculative bubbles and wasteful investment, and warns that officials will be held accountable for reckless projects. That caveat signals Beijing wants the project to produce measurable industrial outcomes rather than become a vehicle for financial speculation.
Why the move matters
The decision to elevate a national blockchain network into a top level economic opinion is significant for several reasons. First, it codifies blockchain as a strategic infrastructure element for industrial digitalization, aligning it with national computing and data initiatives. Placing blockchain in the same policy basket as unified computing power and East Data West Computing increases the prospect of interoperability between government cloud, big data and ledger based systems.
Second, the policy clarifies the Chinese approach to distributed ledger technologies. Beijing is choosing to harness the cryptographic and audit trail benefits of ledger systems for supply chains, trade finance, provenance, data rights and cross border services, while maintaining strict controls over tokens and retail crypto activity. For multinationals and financial institutions, the move suggests new enterprise grade rails may become available for regulated projects, but not for mainstream crypto trading.
Third, the initiative deepens Beijing’s toolkit for shaping data markets and data rights. The plan stresses pilot projects for clarifying data ownership, trading rules and rights allocation. If implemented, a national blockchain network linked to clearer data property rules could change how enterprises exchange data and claim economic value from digital assets in regulated settings.
What to watch next
Follow up documents from the nominated authorities will determine how open the network will be to private entities, which institutions will run nodes, and whether the architecture will be purely permissioned or include limited cross border interfaces. The timing of implementation, procurement strategies, technical standards and the governance framework will be decisive for firms considering using the network for supply chain finance, digital identity, trade documentation or data marketplaces.
Finally, regulators’ treatment of tokenization and stablecoins remains an important parallel story. Earlier regulatory moves this year tightened oversight of stablecoins and token linked real world asset products. Those measures and the new national network together point to a future in which the Chinese state builds ledger based infrastructure for controlled economic use, while continuing to restrict free token markets inside the mainland.
For the international technology and finance communities, the development is a reminder that China’s blockchain strategy is focused on sovereign infrastructure and industrial modernization, not on reintroducing permissionless crypto markets.