PBOC to allow bank interest on e-CNY from Jan. 1, 2026 under new framework

China’s central bank will permit commercial banks to pay interest on digital yuan balances starting Jan. 1, 2026. The overhaul redesigns the e-CNY as a digital deposit currency with deposit insurance protection and integration into banks’ asset–liability management. Usage has grown, with billions of transactions and hundreds of millions of wallets reported.