By Anjali Kochhar
Beijing has announced a comprehensive two-year initiative to embed blockchain technology into its urban infrastructure and public services, aiming to position the city as a global leader in digital innovation. The “Beijing Blockchain Innovation and Application Development Action Plan,” unveiled on April 29, 2025, outlines a strategic roadmap for integrating blockchain across various sectors, including healthcare, education, finance, transportation, and artificial intelligence.
The plan emphasises the development of blockchain software focusing on advancements in cryptography, confidential computing, and distributed systems. It also includes the establishment of national blockchain hub nodes and platforms for trusted digital identity and distributed data directories. By 2027, the initiative aims to achieve petabyte-scale trusted node storage, large-scale blockchain interoperability, and a hundred-million-user-scale interoperable trusted identity system.
A key principle of the plan is “one blockchain, one network, one platform,” seeking to unify various blockchain applications into a cohesive framework. This approach is intended to optimize business processes, ensure trustworthy data sharing, and innovate service models, thereby establishing benchmark applications to drive broader blockchain adoption.
The initiative is a collaborative effort among several government bodies, including the Beijing Municipal Science and Technology Commission, the Zhongguancun Administrative Committee, the Cyberspace Administration Office, the Bureau of Government Services and Data, the Bureau of Economy and Information Technology, and the Bureau of Commerce. This concerted approach underscores the city’s commitment to leveraging blockchain as a foundational technology for industrial digitalisation and vital digital infrastructure.
This move builds upon Beijing’s previous efforts to foster innovation and advance the Web3 industry. In May 2023, the city released a “Web3 Innovation and Development White Paper,” recognising Web3 technology as an inevitable trend for the future of the Internet industry. The commission behind the paper aimed to establish Beijing as an innovation hub for the digital economy, allocating a minimum of 100 million yuan ($14 million) annually until this year.
Unlike its firm stance on cryptocurrency trading, China’s growing enthusiasm for blockchain signals a selective but determined embrace of emerging technologies. With this initiative, Beijing appears to be laying the groundwork for a tech-forward urban landscape one where blockchain will quietly power everyday life, from identity verification to city services.
About the author
Anjali Kochhar covers cryptocurrency and blockchain stories in India as well as globally. Having been in the field of media and journalism for over four years now, she has developed a sharp news sense and works hard to present information that goes beyond the obvious. She is an avid reader and loves writing on a wide range of subjects.
