China Crypto Ban: What Happened and How It Shaped Global Crypto Trends

When China crypto ban, a sweeping government crackdown on cryptocurrency trading and mining that began in 2021 and intensified through 2023. Also known as crypto prohibition in China, it didn’t just restrict coins—it upended the entire global crypto ecosystem. Before the ban, China controlled over 70% of Bitcoin mining and handled nearly half of all crypto transactions worldwide. Then, in one move, the government shut down mining farms, blocked exchange access, and told banks to cut off crypto-related services. No warnings. No grace period. Just silence.

The ripple effects were immediate. Miners packed up their rigs and moved to Texas, Kazakhstan, and Canada. Exchanges like Huobi and Binance scrambled to relocate their headquarters. Meanwhile, ordinary Chinese citizens didn’t stop using crypto—they just went underground. Peer-to-peer trading exploded. Stablecoins like USDT became the new cash. People used WeChat and Telegram to swap Bitcoin for yuan, often at a premium, just to protect their savings from inflation or capital controls. This wasn’t rebellion—it was survival. And it proved that you can’t ban money that runs on code.

The crypto mining ban, a core part of China’s broader effort to eliminate decentralized financial systems. Also known as mining prohibition, it didn’t just kill hardware—it killed the illusion that governments could control digital assets by shutting down physical locations. Countries watching this closely saw two things: first, that crypto adoption can’t be stopped by force alone; second, that clear rules beat sudden crackdowns. That’s why places like Singapore, the UAE, and even Georgia moved fast to build legal frameworks. They didn’t want to be the next China—where innovation fled overnight.

The digital currency China, the state-backed digital yuan, or e-CNY, launched as China’s answer to private cryptocurrencies. Also known as Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC), it was never meant to compete with Bitcoin—it was meant to replace it. While Bitcoin users in China traded secretly, the government pushed its own blockchain system: one where every transaction is tracked, controlled, and monitored. It’s not freedom—it’s financial surveillance with better UX. And now, over 260 million people use it. That’s not a coincidence. It’s strategy.

What you’ll find in the posts below isn’t just news about China. It’s the story of what happens when a superpower tries to erase crypto—and how the world adapted. You’ll see how Morocco and Nigeria kept crypto alive under bans, how exchanges like BKEX and BitStorage became risky traps for those chasing loopholes, and how global regulation is now built on the lessons China forced everyone to learn. This isn’t history. It’s the blueprint for the next decade of money.

Can Businesses in China Accept Crypto Legally in 2025?
Crypto & Blockchain

Can Businesses in China Accept Crypto Legally in 2025?

  • 5 Comments
  • Feb, 16 2025

As of 2025, businesses in mainland China cannot legally accept any cryptocurrency. It's a criminal offense to receive Bitcoin, Ethereum, or any digital asset as payment. The only legal digital currency is the state-backed digital yuan.