The People's Bank of China has confirmed that cumulative transactions using the digital yuan (e-CNY) have surpassed the $1 trillion mark, establishing China's central bank digital currency as the world's most widely used sovereign digital money.
The milestone, reached during Q1 2026, reflects the rapid acceleration of e-CNY adoption following its integration into major e-commerce platforms, public transportation systems, and government disbursement channels across 26 provincial-level regions.
"The digital yuan has moved beyond the pilot phase into mainstream financial infrastructure," said a PBOC spokesperson. "It now processes an average of 12 million transactions daily, serving both retail consumers and wholesale settlement needs."
The development has intensified the global CBDC debate, with the European Central Bank, Bank of England, and Federal Reserve all at various stages of their own digital currency programmes.