China Explores Crypto Rules and AI Cases
BITmarkets Team
Jun 15, 2026
Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, SPC Judicial Committee member Liu Guixiang said the court intends to establish clearer standards for handling these increasingly complex cases. “We will conduct in-depth research on the adjudication rules for new cases such as virtual currencies and cross-border finance, formulate judicial interpretations on civil compensation involving insider trading and market manipulation as soon as possible,” Liu said, according to Chinese media outlet Yicai.
The initiative is aimed at improving consistency across Chinese courts when dealing with disputes involving cryptocurrencies, digital assets and other rapidly evolving technologies.
Courts expand focus to AI and data rights
Beyond cryptocurrency-related matters, the Supreme People’s Court is also examining legal frameworks surrounding artificial intelligence and data ownership. The court plans to explore judicial protections for AI-generated content, data property rights and disputes involving data transactions and ownership. These efforts are expected to help establish clearer standards for determining liability and legal rights in emerging technology-related cases.
By developing dedicated judicial interpretations and internal guidelines, authorities hope to provide judges with a more consistent framework for resolving disputes linked to digital assets, artificial intelligence and intellectual property.
The announcement comes amid heightened attention on crypto-related criminal activity. Earlier this year, Chinese-born businessman and Prince Group founder Chen Zhi was arrested in Cambodia and later extradited to China, where he faces allegations connected to large-scale pig-butchering scam operations. In a related development, the US Department of Justice seized approximately $15 billion worth of Bitcoin in October 2025 from operations allegedly linked to Zhi.
China maintains firm anti-crypto stance
Despite the court’s growing interest in developing legal standards for digital asset cases, China’s prohibition on cryptocurrency activities remains firmly in place. The country's restrictive approach dates back to December 2013, when the People’s Bank of China (PBOC) prohibited financial institutions from offering Bitcoin-related services and clarified that Bitcoin would not be recognized as a legal currency.
Authorities expanded these restrictions significantly in September 2021, when ten government agencies, including the central bank and securities regulators, introduced a comprehensive ban on cryptocurrency transactions, Bitcoin mining and activities related to initial coin offerings (ICOs).
More recently, in February, the PBOC prohibited the issuance of unauthorized offshore yuan-backed stablecoins as well as unapproved tokenized real-world assets (RWAs). The latest restrictions followed government approval allowing commercial banks to share interest with users holding the digital yuan, China's central bank digital currency (CBDC).
The move highlights Beijing’s continued preference for a state-controlled digital currency system rather than privately issued cryptocurrencies or stablecoins. As a result, China appears committed to advancing the digital yuan as its primary form of digital money while maintaining strict controls over the broader crypto sector.
Sources:
https://cointelegraph.com/news/china-supreme-court-formulate-rules-digital-currency-ai
http://www.pbc.gov.cn/goutongjiaoliu/113456/113469/4348521/index.html
