Hong Kong expands digital yuan pilot to allow e-CNY wallets for cross-border payments

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority and the People's Bank of China have expanded their cross-border digital yuan pilot to allow Hong Kong residents to use e-CNY wallets for cross-boundary payments. The digital yuan is China's central bank digital currency, which has been piloted for several years and is among the most advanced of its kind globally. Users can set up wallets using just a phone number and top them up in real-time through 17 Hong Kong retail banks. The HKMA plans to work with the Digital Currency Institute to explore enhancing interoperability in payments and corporate use cases, such as cross-border trade settlement.