The Chinese government is setting up a national blockchain innovation center in Beijing to focus on industrial applications and major use cases of blockchain technology, particularly those related to the Chinese economy.

The new blockchain center will be based in Beijing and will be led by the Beijing Academy of Blockchain and Edge Computing (BABEC), which is backed by the Beijing municipal government. The center will focus on developing blockchain-related technologies and their industrial applications, the publication conveyed, adding that it will also explore major use cases related to the Chinese economy and personal livelihoods.

Despite the country’s anti-crypto stance and ongoing crackdown on crypto-related activities, China has been supportive of development around blockchain technology. In 2019, Chinese President Xi Jinping said blockchain would play “an important role in the next round of technological innovation and industrial transformation.” He called for more efforts to accelerate development in the sector.