If China Leads the Blockchain Race, a Global Freeze Could Be Looming

The Blockchain State Team

09/19/2025

Dominance. That’s the word that defines China’s blockchain strategy. The numbers don’t lie – Chinese entities filed over 90% of blockchain patents in 2023. A staggering achievement by any measure. With blockchain enshrined as a “national infrastructure priority” in both the 13th and 14th Five-Year Plans, China isn’t just participating in the blockchain revolution. It’s leading it.

The government has revealed a $54.5 billion national blockchain roadmap. Not exactly pocket change. This massive investment supports over 1,400 companies in the Chinese blockchain industry, creating an ecosystem that’s rapidly outpacing Western competitors. While many countries still rely on energy-intensive mining, China is embracing proof of stake systems for greater efficiency.

China’s $54.5 billion blockchain roadmap fuels an industrial ecosystem leaving Western competition in the dust.

Then there’s the BSNChina’s National Blockchain Service Network. Launched in 2020, it’s already expanded to 120 public city nodes across China. By early 2025, it’ll reach over 20 countries. Global expansion, Chinese-style. The catch? Mandatory real-identity registration and content controls. Freedom isn’t exactly part of the package.

Beijing’s 2025-2027 action plan targets healthcare, finance, education, AI, and transportation. They’re not messing around. The focus extends to cryptography, privacy protection, and network design – critical infrastructure for the digital future. These key focus areas represent fundamental technologies that will underpin China’s blockchain development.

State-owned giants are all in. China Mobile, China UnionPay, State Grid – they’re integrating blockchain into everything. Tech giants Alibaba, Tencent, and Huawei are developing custom platforms for government use. The state’s fingerprints are everywhere.

The Chinese model differs fundamentally from Western approaches. Permissioned models. Centralized governance. Real-world identity registration. These systems align with state security laws, enabling unprecedented control.

While the West debates regulation, China builds. While others theorize, China implements. The national blockchain research center launched in 2023 accelerates collaboration between enterprises, universities, and developers.

The implications are clear. Chinese blockchain standards could become global defaults. Their technology could dominate international infrastructure. Their governance models could define the future of digital trust.

The blockchain race isn’t just about technology. It’s about who writes the rules. And right now, China is holding the pen. The government has revealed a $54.5 billion national blockchain roadmap.

"The old world runs on trust. The new one runs on code."