China offers digital yuan at Olympics to test overseas appeal

Signage for the digital yuan, also referred to as E-CNY, at a self check-out counter inside a supermarket in Shenzhen, China. Whether foreign athletes adopt the digital yuan remains to be seen given heightened political tensions around the games and worries over data risks. — Bloomberg

China is rolling out its digital yuan to athletes and spectators ahead of the Beijing Winter Olympics, the first major test of the virtual currency’s appeal among foreigners.

With less than a month to go before kickoff, and the event already encumbered by diplomatic boycotts and the threat of virus outbreaks, China is looking to use the games to showcase the digital yuan’s clout globally.