U.S. Senators Introduce Legislation to Block Transactions with China’s Digital Yuan

Senator Rick Scott has sponsored the Chinese CBDC Prohibition Act, which aims to bar U.S. financial service providers from taking part in any transactions with China’s central bank digital currency (CBDC), in an effort to protect American financial interests.

Peer-to-peer crowdfunding sites, post offices, remittance companies, and all money services businesses are among the financial organizations that are the focus of the proposed legislation, which has the backing of Senators Ted Cruz and Marsha Blackburn. Their ability to facilitate any transactions with China’s digital yuan is to be prohibited.

Senator Marsha Blackburn emphasized the importance of protecting Americans financially, stating, “U.S. financial services should not engage in any transaction that involves the CCP’s Digital Yuan.”

Congressional Support and House Proposal

Senator Scott’s bill also received backing from Representative Blaine Luetkemeyer, who introduced it to the House of Representatives. The bipartisan support reflects the shared concern over the potential risks associated with the involvement of American financial entities with China’s CBDC.

The introduction of the bills coincides with ongoing discussions around cryptocurrency regulations in the U.S. Various proposals, including Senator Ted Budd’s “Keep Your Coins” Act, are currently under consideration. However, Galaxy Digital CEO Mike Novogratz anticipates a delay in decisive voting until after the 2024 U.S. elections.

Known as e-CNY, China’s digital yuan debuted in January 2022 and gained popularity fast. It became one of the first digital currencies issued by a central bank in the world and was based on blockchain technology. After 18 months of testing, the government-backed cryptocurrency token has $250 billion in transactions. It has been used by Tencent for a loan facility aimed at SMEs and implemented as a payment channel for governmental employees in the provinces of East China.

Although China still outlaws Bitcoin outright, new legislative indications point to a developing interest in web3 industries like the metaverse and a more sophisticated approach to digital assets than its CBDC.