Chinese city launches cryptocurrency lottery, gives away digital coins to promote adoption | ZDNet
(zdnet.com)
The Chinese city of Shenzhen will become a testing ground for a new sovereign cryptocurrency with residents issued millions in the digital coin for free.
As reported by the South China Morning Post, citizens have been able to enter a lottery to receive the digital funds, of which coins worth 10 million yuan ($1.47 million) will be awarded to promote their use in roughly 3,400 designated stores in the Luohu district.
The 50,000 "red packets" will each contain roughly $30 in cryptocurrency. Chinese citizens living in Shenzhen have been able to apply via iShenzhen, a blockchain-based and government-operated network that backs the new sovereign asset.
See also: IRS offers grants for software to trace privacy-focused cryptocurrency trades
Digital Renminbi, an official state app, can be used to create an e-wallet to store and exchange the cryptocurrency. The gift amounts can only be used until October 18 and cannot be transferred to traditional bank accounts. If the coins are not used, they will be taken back.
The scheme is considered a pilot for the digital yuan, also known as Digital Currency Electronic Payment (DCEP).
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The need for an all-optical network
A mind-boggling number of smart devices and sensors are connecting to the internet through cloud-based data centres across the world at a pace unseen before.
By airdropping this vast amount and encouraging residents to spend their funds in a short time, China will be able to test the transactional capacity and reliability of the DCEP system, while also isolating the trial from traditional payment methods and accounts.
Many cryptocurrencies currently in circulation are decentralized, which means that there is no central backing -- loosening control in comparison to traditional fiat currency, but also increasing the likelihood of market fluctuations.
However, China's sovereign virtual coin is backed by the People's Bank of China (PBOC), which means the coin should be considered less of a standard cryptocurrency, and more like a government-controlled digital alternative to cash.
TechRepublic: How to secure your open source supply chain
Beyond retail use cases, transport and bill payments are also being floated as potential applications of DCEP.
Other pilot programs have taken place over 2020 to debut DCEP, including in the cities of Xiongan, Suzhou, and Chengdu.
China is seeking to move to a cashless society, and state-backed virtual alternatives could provide the means to do so. However, with every transaction recorded on the blockchain, this may also be considered a risk to privacy as payments would not have the anonymity offered by traditional, physical cash.
As reported by the South China Morning Post, citizens have been able to enter a lottery to receive the digital funds, of which coins worth 10 million yuan ($1.47 million) will be awarded to promote their use in roughly 3,400 designated stores in the Luohu district.
The 50,000 "red packets" will each contain roughly $30 in cryptocurrency. Chinese citizens living in Shenzhen have been able to apply via iShenzhen, a blockchain-based and government-operated network that backs the new sovereign asset.
See also: IRS offers grants for software to trace privacy-focused cryptocurrency trades
Digital Renminbi, an official state app, can be used to create an e-wallet to store and exchange the cryptocurrency. The gift amounts can only be used until October 18 and cannot be transferred to traditional bank accounts. If the coins are not used, they will be taken back.
The scheme is considered a pilot for the digital yuan, also known as Digital Currency Electronic Payment (DCEP).
CNET: Huawei ban timeline: UK says there's 'clear evidence of collusion' between Huawei and China
The need for an all-optical network
A mind-boggling number of smart devices and sensors are connecting to the internet through cloud-based data centres across the world at a pace unseen before.
By airdropping this vast amount and encouraging residents to spend their funds in a short time, China will be able to test the transactional capacity and reliability of the DCEP system, while also isolating the trial from traditional payment methods and accounts.
Many cryptocurrencies currently in circulation are decentralized, which means that there is no central backing -- loosening control in comparison to traditional fiat currency, but also increasing the likelihood of market fluctuations.
However, China's sovereign virtual coin is backed by the People's Bank of China (PBOC), which means the coin should be considered less of a standard cryptocurrency, and more like a government-controlled digital alternative to cash.
TechRepublic: How to secure your open source supply chain
Beyond retail use cases, transport and bill payments are also being floated as potential applications of DCEP.
Other pilot programs have taken place over 2020 to debut DCEP, including in the cities of Xiongan, Suzhou, and Chengdu.
China is seeking to move to a cashless society, and state-backed virtual alternatives could provide the means to do so. However, with every transaction recorded on the blockchain, this may also be considered a risk to privacy as payments would not have the anonymity offered by traditional, physical cash.
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Francisco Gimeno - BC Analyst China seems to be other planet sometimes when we read how they work on their blockchain and crypto platforms as State gets deeply involved to create a 4th IR digital economy with Chinese characteristics. We can criticise and even dismiss this, but US, EU etc should really think about what all this mean in economic, social and political terms in a changing world.