
The People’s Republic of China prepares to launch its first state-backed non-fungible token (NFT) marketplace in the nationโs capital, Beijing, on New Year’s Day. This signals its continued embrace of the technology.
China to Launch State-Backed NFT Marketplace
The state-backed marketplace, dubbed โChina Digital Asset Trading Platform,โ will be launched in Beijing on January 1st, 2023. The regulated platform will be a secondary market allowing users to trade digital copyrights, property rights, and collectibles.
Sponsored
According to a report from Sina News, the NFT platform will be run by the state-owned Chinese technology exchange in collaboration with the state-owned Art Exhibitions China and Huban Digital Copyrights Ltd, a private corporate entity.
The platform is reportedly built on a blockchain called the โChina Cultural Protection Chain,โ a permission chain, unlike the permissionless chains of traditional NFTs. The stiff regulation limits the nature of digital artwork created on the blockchains.
China Leads the Way in NFT Adoption
China emerged as one of the first nations to embrace the NFT industry. This is despite banning cryptocurrencies, mining, and exchanges in 2021. As a result, NFTs (digital collectibles in China) have become extremely popular over the last two years.
In November, the Hangzhou Internet Court of China ruled that NFTs are virtual property protected by law because they share โthe object characteristics of property rights such as value, scarcity, controllability, and tradeability.โ
On the Flipside
- While NFTs are popular in China, they are traded on closed, highly regulated platforms instead of open ones. Additionally, they canโt be bought with crypto.ย
Why You Should Care
Chinaโs NFT marketplace aims to regulate while also avoiding excessive speculation in secondary NFT markets.
Sunโs take on Chinaโs crypto approach is covered in:
Tronโs Justin calls Hong Kong Chinaโs Crypto Policy Experiment Base
Read about Chinaโs leading CBDC in:
Chinaโs Central Bank-Owned โDigital Yuanโ App Now Allows Gifting of Cash