China Bank to Start Paying Interest on Real‑Name Digital RMB Wallets from Jan 1, 2026

Published: 2025-12-31 07:24:47 |

China Bank announced the "Announcement on the Payment of Interest on Digital RMB," effective January 1, 2026. Customers with real‑name digital RMB wallets opened at China Bank will earn interest on their digital RMB balances at the bank’s prevailing savings rate. Interest calculation and payment rules will mirror those applied to traditional savings deposits. The move integrates digital RMB more closely into routine retail banking by providing a familiar yield profile and transparent, rule‑based payouts aligned with conventional deposit products. Key points: effective date (2026‑01‑01), applies to real‑name digital RMB wallets at China Bank, interest paid at current savings rate, calculation/payments follow existing savings deposit rules.

Neutral

This policy is likely neutral for crypto markets overall. Paying interest on real‑name digital RMB held at a major bank integrates China’s central bank digital currency (CBDC) into routine deposit services and could encourage greater on‑chain/off‑ledger adoption among retail users in China. For domestic yuan liquidity and fiat banking, the change may modestly shift some retail cash balances into digital RMB accounts, but this primarily affects on‑ramp behavior rather than crypto market capital flows. Traders may see slight short‑term effects on stablecoin demand in China if yields on digital RMB become competitive, but broader crypto prices (e.g., BTC, ETH) are unlikely to be materially affected because the change does not alter monetary policy or crypto fundamentals. Historically, similar regulatory or product integrations of CBDCs tend to increase retail use of domestic digital currency without producing direct bullish or bearish moves in global crypto markets. Short‑term: possible small reallocation from domestic cash/stablecoins to digital RMB deposits; increased transactional activity in China. Long‑term: stronger institutionalization of digital RMB could gradually reduce reliance on offshore stablecoins for RMB settlement, slightly lowering regional stablecoin demand while boosting utility of digital RMB for retail payments and on‑platform settlement within China.