João Russo China’s central bank-backed digital currency has taken a giant leap forward in its adoption as Wechat Pay, with over two billion users, officially announced support for payments in the digital yuan. This means that any of these two billion users now have access to faster payment options using the digital currency. The People’s Bank of China (PBOC) launched the digital yuan as part of its efforts to digitize its currency and promote a more efficient payment system in the country. With Wechat Pay joining Alipay in supporting this new form of payments, users in China will have more options to choose from when it comes to making payments.
2 Billion Wechat Pay Users Get Digital Yuan Access
Wechat Pay, China’s largest mobile payment platform, has added the country’s central bank digital currency (CBDC) to its application. This is the first time that Wechat Pay users, estimated to be more than 1.2 billion people, will have access to an e-CNY wallet integrated into their normal payment activities. By joining Alipay in this effort, Wechat Pay is showing its support for the Chinese government and its program to promote the use of digital yuan.
The Chinese government is actively promoting the digital yuan for both domestic and international usage. One of the goals of the CBDC it to replace paper money used in everyday purchases, and trials of the digital yuan have been underway across China since April 2020. More than 5.5 million merchants and businesses have already participated in these trials, with a positive response from many users due to its convenience and speed of transactions. However, other reports suggest otherwise. According to Mu Changchun, the former head of research at the People’s Bank of China (PBOC), “the trials yielded very disappointing results in terms of usage and activity”.
Regardless of its effectiveness so far, having companies like Wechat Pay and Alipay integrate with the digital yuan system bodes well for the future success of this new form of payment method. As more users become familiar with the digital yuan app and gain confidence in its security and reliability, we can expect to see a much wider adoption rate in coming years.
China is rapidly advancing their digital currency capabilities, and Wechat Pay’s addition of digital yuan support is a major step forward. This move is a win for both merchants and customers as it will allow for more convenient, secure, and cost-effective payments. Wechat Pay joining forces with Alipay to support digital yuan payments is a testament to how influential the technology can be in our lives.
