⚠️Starting from 2026, #数字人民币 balances will begin to accrue interest

This is not a benefit; it is a fundamental transformation of currency form
Many people have not yet realized how important this is.
Let's start with a basic but overlooked fact👇
1. Why is cash “non-interest bearing”?
You put money in:

Your pocket

Drawer

WeChat balance

Numbers don’t change, but purchasing power is gradually eroded by inflation.
This is the essential characteristic of “cash”:
👉 It is merely a medium of exchange, not an asset.
Digital renminbi was the same in the past.
Essentially, it is just “digitized cash.”
2. But now, the rules have been rewritten
The central bank’s latest plan clearly states:
Starting January 1, 2026, digital renminbi wallet balances
Will accrue interest based on the “current deposit rate.”
What does this mean?
👉 For the first time at the institutional level:
Holding “pure cash” long-term incurs a cost.
This step is very unusual.
3. Why is this step “scary”?
Not because you can earn a little more interest,
But because 👇
⚠️ The boundary between cash and deposits is beginning to be actively blurred
The previous structure was:

Cash: non-interest bearing, anonymous, free

Deposits: interest bearing, real-name, traceable

Now, digital renminbi begins:

✅ To have the form of cash

✅ While enjoying the attributes of deposits

What does this mean?
👉 “Can be included in the monetary system without entering a bank”
👉 Payment tools are upgrading to “policy transmission tools”
This is not just a technological upgrade; it’s a change in monetary philosophy.
4. Setting aside macro issues, what can ordinary people gain?
Let’s return to practical terms, speak plainly👇
① Payments without internet are a real necessity

No internet on phone ✔

SIM card payments ✔

Elderly, children, travel scenarios ✔

The example you mentioned about “letting kids go downstairs to buy groceries” is very realistic.
Digital renminbi is more like “cash that won’t be lost.”
② Money really starts to “earn interest” (key point)
Prerequisite: real-name wallet

Interest calculation standard:
👉 Referencing the current deposit rates of various commercial banks

Security:
👉 Protected by deposit insurance, equivalent to bank deposits within 500,000 yuan

For many who dislike managing finances, this step is actually very crucial.
③ Daily life scenarios are basically connected
Utilities, phone bills, transportation, red envelopes, tuition, hospitals, train tickets, flight tickets……
In short:
Wherever you can spend money, you can basically use digital renminbi.
And it’s real-time, no worries about transfer errors or lag.
④ Very attractive for merchants: 0 transaction fee

Mobile payments: ≈ 0.6%

Digital renminbi: 0%

Pay 100 yuan, and you get 100 yuan.
What does this mean?
👉 Merchants are highly motivated to promote its use
⑤ Cross-border payments, with lower costs and faster speeds

Lower transaction fees

Faster arrival (minutes level)

Study abroad, overseas shopping, foreign trade—these will be repeatedly emphasized later.
5. Your city is probably already able to use it
By the end of 2025, the digital renminbi pilot has covered:

✅ 4 major municipalities directly under the central government

✅ Almost all provincial capital cities

✅ Many economically strong cities & counties

✅ Hainan Island

✅ Cross-border testing in Hong Kong and Macau

It is no longer a “pilot toy,” but the night before nationwide rollout.
6. Why are banks suddenly more proactive?
You’ve already pointed out the key sentence, but I’ll clarify it for you👇
Digital renminbi interest calculation = inclusion of deposits in the balance sheet
This means:

Banks have profit margin space

Motivated to promote

Motivated to develop ecosystems, services, and products

Next, you will see not whether “it can be used,”
But which bank’s digital renminbi is better to use.
7. A straightforward summary
This is not just a simple “wallet upgrade.”
It’s:

💡 Cash → Interest-bearing

💡 Payments → Assets

💡 Tools → System nodes

Money is transforming into an “always online” existence.
Final interactive question:
Is your city already within the scope of the digital renminbi pilot?
Have you used digital renminbi yourself?
Is it “occasional use,” or have you already started using it as your main wallet?