Blockchain has long been hailed as the technology that would decentralize control and hand power back to users. But that vision is evolving especially as governments start deploying their own agendas. Rather than embracing blockchain as a tool for digital freedom, many states are now shaping it into a regulated infrastructure of institutional trust. And Beijing is accelerating that shift.
In an action plan announced on April 29, Beijing’s municipal authorities outlined a strategy to develop the city’s blockchain ecosystem through 2027. The document, co-authored by several departments including the Municipal Science and Technology Commission, details how blockchain will be integrated across key sectors such as artificial intelligence, healthcare, education, and financial services.
This isn’t just about isolated tech experiments. The goal is to build a digital infrastructure based on trustworthy blockchain systems, connecting the technology to emerging pillars like confidential computing, network interoperability, and large-scale secure data sharing.
According to the plan, over 20 benchmark applications are set to launch in the coming years. These will range from developing AI models with verifiable data to digital identity platforms and next-gen insurance services. Beijing also aims to become a national blockchain hub by building technical platforms capable of supporting industrial-scale applications.
In healthcare, the plan envisions blockchain as the backbone of a more efficient and secure system for managing medical data. That includes streamlining insurance claims and enabling the controlled sharing of sensitive information between institutions. The focus is on boosting efficiency without compromising privacy.
In education, the goal is to create platforms that provide access to AI training resources while complying with data protection laws. With its ability to audit access and ensure data integrity, blockchain emerges as a natural fit in this setting.
Efforts also extend to advanced cryptographic research. Beijing wants to take the lead in post-quantum systems, preparing its infrastructure for the security challenges of the future. The ambition is to design architectures that can scale to national applications without sacrificing resilience or transaction trust.
The financial sector is another key target. Banks and insurers are encouraged to integrate blockchain into processes like credit issuance, underwriting, and risk management. By enabling secure data sharing between public and private institutions, the idea is to enhance transparency and reduce systemic risk.
In transportation and logistics, the government is looking to standardize vehicle and cargo data, integrating this information into insurance, settlement, and logistics finance platforms. Blockchain in this context could improve system interoperability, cut fraud, and speed up key supply chain transactions.
More than a technical transformation, Beijing’s blockchain plan reflects a shift in how governments are defining trust in the digital world. The decentralization once envisioned by blockchain’s early advocates is giving way to a more institutional approach where the technology underpins new forms of public and private governance.
That doesn’t mean the potential of blockchain is being lost. But it does reveal a clear trend: those who lead the implementation of the technology also shape how it’s used. Instead of liberating data, blockchain may now serve to channel it through regulated and standardized pathways aligned with state and corporate interests.
In that light, China’s capital might be offering a preview of how blockchain will be adopted globally. Not as a rebellious tool, but as the digital backbone of national infrastructures. The impact of this transformation will depend on how and by whom these systems are built. And most importantly, on where the balance between control and innovation lands in this new chapter of the digital era.
