PBOC to require interest on e-CNY wallets starting January 1, 2026
Starting January 1, 2026, the People's Bank of China will require commercial banks to pay interest on eligible e-CNY wallet balances and record them as deposit liabilities. The framework brings the digital yuan onto bank balance sheets with deposit insurance and reserve requirements, while usage had reached 3.48 billion transactions and 16.7 trillion yuan by November 2025.