Beijing's Municipal Bureau of Economy and Information Technology announced policies leveraging blockchain to build computing infrastructure exceeding 33,000 Petaflops, signaling strong governmental support for Web3 and AI development.

Executive Summary

Beijing has formally outlined policy measures to bolster its future industries, specifically targeting the integration of blockchain applications within its computing infrastructure. The initiative aims to enhance the city's cumulative computing power, which already surpasses 33,000 Petaflops, and establish a robust framework for digital economic growth through innovation in Web3 and Artificial Intelligence (AI).

The Event in Detail

On April 29, the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Economy and Information Technology, alongside several other core government departments, unveiled an action plan to promote the development and application of blockchain technology. This initiative focuses on leveraging blockchain to support and optimize the construction of computing infrastructure. The city's current computing capacity is reported to exceed 33,000 Petaflops. Key policies will incentivize and reward the registration, trading, financial statement incorporation, and open access of data elements. The Beijing Data Exchange has identified AI dataset trading as its largest business segment, underscoring the strategic importance of data in this digital transformation. The comprehensive "Beijing Blockchain Innovation and Application Development Action Plan (2025-2027)" outlines a blueprint for blockchain technology research, infrastructure development, and industrial integration over the next three years, aiming to position Beijing as a global leader in blockchain innovation.

Strategic Imperatives and Investment

China's approach to blockchain technology is characterized by a "dual-track policy," embracing the underlying technology while maintaining strict regulations on cryptocurrency speculation. This plan elevates blockchain to a "critical foundational technology for industrial digitalization and vital digital infrastructure." It is regarded as an "important foundation for the development of industrial digitalization" with significant potential to "enhance data trust and optimize process efficiency." Previously, the country released a "Web3 Innovation and Development White Paper" in 2023, committing at least 100 million yuan annually until 2024 to support Web3 technology innovation. The current Beijing action plan serves as a direct continuation and deepening of this national strategy. The plan emphasizes robust infrastructure development, including the research and development of dedicated blockchain chips, advanced privacy protection features, cross-chain interoperability, and distributed networking. By 2027, the project aims to achieve petabyte-scale trusted node storage, large-scale blockchain interoperability, and a hundred-million-user-scale interoperable trusted identity system, alongside the deployment of at least 20 blockchain use cases.

Infrastructure and Economic Integration

The ambition to establish Beijing as a global benchmark city for blockchain technology innovation and a leader in digital economic development by 2027 is central to this initiative. Collaboration is a key component, exemplified by the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between Cyberport and the Beijing International Big Data Exchange (BJIDEX) in November 2023. This MoU aims to co-build high-value data infrastructure, accelerate data flow, and support frontier technology. This strategy aligns with the emerging concept of Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks (DePIN), which applies Web3 principles to real-world infrastructure by incentivizing contributions of computing power, energy, and storage through token rewards. This model facilitates a more distributed and resilient infrastructure, echoing Beijing's efforts to decentralize and enhance its computing capabilities.

Broader Market Implications

This concerted effort from Beijing is expected to have significant implications for the broader Web3 ecosystem, AI development, and the global data economy. By investing heavily in foundational blockchain infrastructure and positioning the technology as a core component of its digital transformation, China is making systematic gains that could grant it "unprecedented influence globally," as noted by some international observers. This strategic push for blockchain-backed computing infrastructure could establish Beijing as a leading hub, influencing national policies and fostering advancements relevant to Web3, AI, and data economies. While explicitly excluding cryptocurrency speculation, the policy implicitly signals potential exploration of "digital asset" applications, attracting market attention. Globally, similar trends are observed; for instance, the U.S. government is publishing GDP data on blockchains like Bitcoin and Ethereum to enhance transparency, indicating a wider institutional recognition of blockchain's utility beyond traditional financial instruments.