The People’s Bank of China has added eight commercial banks to the digital yuan’s operator network, lifting the total to 30 from 10 at the start of 2026 and bringing this year’s additions to 20 after a separate 12-bank expansion in April. The latest additions include Ping An Bank, Hengfeng Bank, Bank of Shanghai and Bank of Hangzhou; China Bohai Bank is also among the newly authorized institutions. The banks have been connected to the central e-CNY system but must complete operational and technical preparations before beginning services. The move deepens the PBOC’s two-tier distribution model, in which the central bank manages the core system while licensed banks handle wallet opening, top-ups and exchange, payments and anti-money laundering. China’s January framework overhaul also classified e-CNY held in commercial bank wallets as deposits that must pay interest, and the PBOC has indicated it plans to keep expanding the operator roster. The broader network may widen consumer and business access to the digital yuan, which had recorded 3.48 billion transactions worth 16.7 trillion yuan, or about $2.3 trillion, by late November 2025, while also supporting cross-border experiments such as a July 2026 pilot with Singapore.