Chinese Universities Begin Adopting Digital Yuan – Students to Lead CBDC Drive?

China Digital Yuan
Last updated:
Author
Author
Tim Alper
About Author

Tim Alper is a British journalist and features writer who has worked at Cryptonews.com since 2018. He has written for media outlets such as the BBC, the Guardian, and Chosun Ilbo. He has also worked...

Last updated:
Why Trust Cryptonews
Cryptonews has covered the cryptocurrency industry topics since 2017, aiming to provide informative insights to our readers. Our journalists and analysts have extensive experience in market analysis and blockchain technologies. We strive to maintain high editorial standards, focusing on factual accuracy and balanced reporting across all areas - from cryptocurrencies and blockchain projects to industry events, products, and technological developments. Our ongoing presence in the industry reflects our commitment to delivering relevant information in the evolving world of digital assets. Read more about Cryptonews
Ad DisclosureWe believe in full transparency with our readers. Some of our content includes affiliate links, and we may earn a commission through these partnerships. Read more
Three young women look at their mobile phones as they walk past a bus.
Source: DisobeyArt/Adobe

Universities in China say they are adopting the digital yuan, and looking for ways to allow students to use the nation’s central bank digital currency (CBDC) in “every” aspect of their campus lives.

In an interview with the Chinese media outlet Stockstar, one of the firms at the center of the adoption drive said it was targeting a “full” range of CBDC campus applications.

The comments came from the Shenzhen Stock Exchange-listed firm Zhejiang Zhengyuan Zhihui Technology.

The firm said it had deployed its digital yuan payment solutions “in many universities” in the pilot zone.

These include Soochow University (Suzhou), also known as Suzhou University, in southern Jiangsu Province.

The company said that “all” of Soochow University’s campus buildings had been updated to process digital yuan payments.

Some card readers were previously only compatible with university-issued “campus cards” and UnionPay payments.

The firm added that Soochow University (Suzhou) had become the “first full-scenario digital yuan university in China.”

This means that students can pay for rides on university-run transport, such as buses.

They can also use their CBDC wallets as a sort of ID card, using QR-type codes in “five major banks’” digital wallets to register their attendance at classes.

Students can also scan their wallets to pass through automated turnstiles, doing away with smartcards and facial recognition software.

The company said that its solution was also being rolled out in “parks.”

The digital yuan wallet solution is also being used at “enterprises,” where they could replace employee smartcards.

Could Universities Lead China’s CBDC Adoption Drive?

The company said its solution was being used as a “benchmark” for CBDC adoption in “the education industry in Jiangsu Province.”

Universities in China often have small, relatively closed economic ecosystems.

These typically comprise school-owned canteens, stores, and printing facilities.

As such, universities have often been used during the pilot to experiment with new digital yuan payment options.

In 2021, the first digital yuan hard wallets were piloted at the Shanghai-based Jiao Tong University School of Medicine’s Tongren Hospital staff canteen.

Late last year, the Fuzhou University of International Studies and Trade became the first Chinese entity to make a digital yuan-powered land transaction.

The university paid around $7.14 million to buy a plot of land.

More Articles

Blockchain News
Russian Diamond Miner Jailed for ‘Sending Crypto to Ukrainian Army’
Tim Alper
Tim Alper
2025-01-15 03:00:00
Blockchain News
UK Central Bank to Test CBDC Capabilities in New Digital Pound Lab
Hongji Feng
Hongji Feng
2025-01-15 00:49:04
Crypto News in numbers
editors
Authors List + 66 More
2M+
Active Monthly Users Around the World
250+
Guides and Reviews Articles
8
Years on the Market
70
International Team Authors