Huaxia Bank has set a precedent in the trend of financial technology and digital currency. The Chinese entity completed one of the country’s first CBDC blockchain bond issuances, distributing commercial bonds valued at over $637 million to customers who paid exclusively with the digital yuan (e-CNY), China’s central bank digital currency (CBDC).
The operation was executed through its commercial shipping subsidiary, Huaxia Financial Leasing. They reported that the entire issuance process was recorded in real-time on the blockchain network. This mechanism not only ensures the immutability of all transactions but also allows investors to verify relevant information at any time.
The Chinese bank maintains that, with this technology, the use of blockchain and the digital yuan in this bond placement will eliminate the need for traditional intermediaries. This step could simplify the cost structure and accelerate the path for more Chinese companies to launch loans and financial products powered by Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT).
Details of the Placement and the Impact of the Digital Yuan
The bonds, described as a “national-first” move by the entity, are scheduled to mature in three years and offer an annual yield (coupon rate) of 1.84%. Huaxia Bank’s CBDC blockchain bond issuance helped to revolutionize its book-building operations, the process used to gauge investor demand.
The bank initially expected to raise a minimum of $425 million, with an additional $212 million reserved in case of oversubscription. Ultimately, investor appetite proved so high that the entity was compelled to issue all of the bonds.
It is worth noting that, unlike many CBDCs under development, the digital yuan itself does not use blockchain technology. However, its integration into this distributed ledger platform underscores China’s willingness to experiment with new forms of financing.
The digital yuan pilot program, which began in April 2021, has already achieved cumulative transactions of $2 trillion and boasts more than 225 million people with open personal digital wallets.
The Chinese financial entity did not disclose the blockchain network used—likely a private network, given China’s strict regulation against cryptocurrency trading—but this initiative undoubtedly sets a bold precedent in the modernization of the country’s capital markets.