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China's CBDC Trials Reach Beijing Subway
Passengers with Industrial and Commercial Bank of China's mobile app can use the digital yuan to pay their fares.
Updated Sep 14, 2021, 1:19 p.m. Published Jun 30, 2021, 11:35 a.m.
Trials of China's central bank digital currency (CBDC) have reached the subway system in the capital city, Beijing.
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- Subway passengers with Industrial and Commercial Bank of China's (ICBC) mobile app can use the digital yuan to pay their fares, according to an announcement Wednesday.
- The digital yuan, known as e-CNY, has been in trials around the country for several months.
- Beijing is one of three cities to have held a lottery with winnings distributed in digital yuan.
- The announcement today signals trials reaching a use case with a potential mass consumer base.
- Beijing's subway system is among the world's busiest, with a daily average number of passengers of more than 10.5 million in 2018.
Read more: China’s Xiong’an New Area Begins Using Digital Yuan for Salary Payments
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