###Chinese Media: Digital Currency On Hold as Coronavirus Spreads

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If you’ve followed the crypto news cycle over the past few months, you’ve likely seen the near-incessant stream of reports that China’s central bank, the PBOC, is on the verge of launching its own digital currency, branded the “DCEP” by reports from local media.

In fact, a December report from Caijing, which cited individuals familiar with the PBOC’s operations, suggested that the central bank was going to roll out a pilot program for the national crypto asset at the start of 2020 in Shenzhen and another municipality.

Despite other reports corroborating the idea that the PBOC was done the base layer development of their digital yuan, nothing came of the Caijing report and others like it. The reason: coronavirus.

According to a recent report from The Global Times — an English news outlet closely affiliated with the Chinese Communist Party’s de-facto media mouthpiece, The People’s Daily — “sources close to the matter” say “China’s research into its sovereign digital currency has been delayed from the first quarter due to the outbreak of the coronavirus.”

The source elaborated that the outbreak has forced staff of the PBOC and of other government institutions to stay home and avoid certain activities, “which weighs on the development process.”

This was further confirmed by Shentu Qingchun, CEO of Shenzhen-based blockchain company BankLedger, a company that The Global Times claims is involved in the launch of DCEP. Shentu purportedly said while the PBOC intended to make an announcement regarding the digital currency in Q1 2020, the chances the “announcement could be made on time are slim.”

Those interviewed by the outlet remain largely optimistic, however, affirming their support for the project and suggesting that the launch of the digital currency is likely still on track to take place sometime this year.