China’s digital yuan goes to school with student card that gives parents control over spending

The e-CNY is now available to students at Hainan Luxun High School through a palm-sized device that gives parents control over spending and phone calls. The device expands the digital yuan’s use to children on the southern island ahead of further expansion to new cities expected this year. — SCMP

China’s rapidly expanding sovereign digital currency has arrived in school in the form of a palm-sized device that allows parents to track the location and purchase records of their kids.

The new e-CNY “card”, which is effectively a small mobile phone, is being made available to students at Hainan Luxun High School in the city of Sanya, in China’s southernmost province. The device lets students make payments at designated stores and make calls with select numbers. Location tracking is enabled through GPS, according to state broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV).