China’s two most powerful policymaking bodies want the country to build a national blockchain network. Just don’t expect a token to come with it.
On October 9, 2026, the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and the State Council released a policy document titled “Opinions on Developing New Quality Productive Forces.” Among its 19 measures is a call to construct a national blockchain network alongside a nationwide integrated computing power network.
The document was made public through Xinhua the same day.
What the guidelines actually say
The core aim is to tie China’s real economy more closely to its digital economy. Blockchain is one tool for that job. Computing power is another.
The guidelines also push to strengthen systems for data property rights. That means building formal ways to certify who owns a given piece of data. It sounds dry. It is also the kind of groundwork that has to exist before data can be treated as a tradable economic asset.
To get there, the document backs pilot projects focused on data elements. It also calls for optimizing the country’s national data infrastructure.
Beyond blockchain, the 19 measures sketch out a list of future industries Beijing wants to prioritize:
- Quantum technology
- Biomanufacturing
- Hydrogen energy
- Sixth-generation mobile communications
There’s also an “AI+” initiative centered on green and low-carbon development. The document emphasizes innovation-driven growth and encourages regions to adapt policies to local conditions rather than copying a single template.
The guidelines aim to strengthen intellectual property protections and to reduce risks tied to investment bubbles and herd behavior.
The tokens that weren’t there
The guidelines contain no explicit mention of independent digital assets, crypto tokens, permissionless systems or trading activity. The blockchain in this plan is state-coordinated infrastructure.
A policy paper co-issued by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council carries more weight than ministry-level guidance.
How we got here
China has been laying blockchain groundwork for years. The Blockchain-based Service Network, or BSN, launched in 2020 as a state-backed platform for developers to deploy blockchain applications. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology followed with its own blockchain guidance in 2021.
The framework also ties into the 15th Five-Year Plan, which covers 2026 through 2030.
What this means
The research notes that the strict framework may pose challenges for companies trying to introduce independent digital asset products. The likely result, according to the findings, is a cautious investment climate that favors state-coordinated projects over individual crypto innovation.
The data property rights piece deserves close attention. If China builds working systems to certify data ownership, it could lay the foundation for large-scale, regulated data markets. Blockchain would serve as the verification layer underneath.
What to watch next: the rollout of the data element pilot projects, any technical details on how the national blockchain network connects to the existing BSN, and how provinces translate the “adapt to local conditions” guidance into concrete programs.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Estefano Gomez. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.