21世纪经济报道·2025-12-31 11:44Core Viewpoint - The digital renminbi will officially end its "interest-free era" as major state-owned banks announce that starting January 1, 2026, the balance in real-name digital renminbi wallets will earn interest based on the current deposit rate [1][4][10]. Group 1: Digital Renminbi Interest Policy - Six major state-owned banks, including ICBC, ABC, BOC, CCB, BOCOM, and PSBC, will implement interest payments on digital renminbi wallet balances according to the current deposit rate starting January 1, 2026 [1][4]. - The interest will be calculated based on the People's Bank of China's regulations for current deposits, with interest credited quarterly [3][4]. - The introduction of this interest policy is part of the People's Bank of China's action plan to enhance the management and service system for digital renminbi [4][10]. Group 2: Transition to Digital Deposit Currency - The implementation of the interest policy marks the transition of digital renminbi from a "digital cash" model to a "digital deposit currency" model [10]. - Previously, digital renminbi was classified as M0, similar to cash, and did not earn interest, limiting its attractiveness compared to bank deposits [10]. - With the new policy, digital renminbi will be treated as a liability of commercial banks, allowing it to support credit activities and deposit expansion mechanisms, thus enhancing its monetary elasticity [10][11]. Group 3: Current Status and Future Prospects - As of November 2025, digital renminbi has processed 3.48 billion transactions with a total transaction amount of 16.7 trillion yuan [8]. - The digital renminbi is being tested in various scenarios, including daily consumption and government services, and is expanding into cross-border payment initiatives [7][8]. - The future digital renminbi will be a modern digital payment and circulation tool, supported by the central bank and possessing attributes of commercial bank liabilities [10][11].