Investors Pour $188 Million Into Digital Yuan Stocks Following PBOC's Wallet Interest Approval
Investors poured about $188 million into digital yuan stocks after the People's Bank of China (PBOC) allowed central bank digital currency (CBDC) wallets to earn interest. The top ten shareholders hold a combined market value of 1.89 billion yuan ($265 million).
On December 29, seven CBDC-related stocks attracted net inflows exceeding 100 million yuan, with Lakala leading at 371 million yuan ($52 million), followed by Hengbao with 265 million yuan ($37 million), Cuiwei at 211 million yuan ($29.5 million), and iSoftStone at 176 million yuan ($24.6 million).
Starting January 1, 2026, banks will have the ability to independently manage assets and liabilities within digital yuan wallet balances under a new framework for 2026–2030. This enhanced system and ecosystem will take effect that year. The wallets deployed in pilot zones operate offline and update balances when connected to internet-enabled POS devices or transit barriers.
In a related development, Shandong Province launched the Ji Dan – Entrepreneurial Loan program in Jinan, providing startup funding up to 200,000 yuan (about $28,000) for entrepreneurs.
Authorities have issued warnings about fraud risks related to the new interest features, including phishing, fake apps, and schemes promising cashback. The PBOC's Digital Currency Research Institute and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) have both released alerts concerning counterfeit digital yuan applications.
For context, as of November 2025, the digital yuan processed 3.48 billion transactions totaling 16.7 trillion yuan ($2.34 trillion), with 230 million personal wallets and 18.84 million corporate wallets in use. The cross-border CBDC bridge accounted for about 95% of transaction value.
