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China-Led mBridge Crosses $55 Billion as Digital Yuan Dominates CBDC Settlements

Beijing’s plan to pay interest on e‑CNY balances signals a pilot network maturing into a parallel rail for cross‑border trade.

Overview

  • The multi‑CBDC system has logged more than 4,000 cross‑border payments totaling about $55.5 billion, according to Atlantic Council data.
  • Roughly 95% of settlement volume on mBridge uses China’s e‑CNY.
  • The platform links the central banks of China, Hong Kong, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia and remains in pilot testing.
  • The BIS exited the project in 2024, calling it a graduation and refocusing on Project Agorá as it reiterated it would not support platforms used by sanctioned countries.
  • Analysts describe mBridge as an alternative settlement channel that could take on targeted trade and commodity flows, with a reported UAE wholesale‑dirham transaction indicating early real‑world use.