Boost for Blockchain in China as Xinhua to Issue Photos as NFTs

Xinhua said in an official notice that it planned to issue the 11 photos, each in a limited edition of 10,000 copies.

By Reuters | Updated: 22 December 2021 16:43 IST

Boost for Blockchain in China as Xinhua to Issue Photos as NFTs

Collection from Xinhua includes a photo commemorating 100th anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party

Highlights

The collection would "imprint digital memories into the metaverse"
Augmented reality firm Goertek jumped 6 percent
Cryptocurrencies are seen as natural means of payment in the metaverse

The official Xinhua news agency said on Wednesday it will issue a digital media photo collection via non-fungible tokens (NFTs), a first for China and a boost for the blockchain technology that underpins them and that Beijing has previously criticised.

NFTs, which are digitised ownership certificates, have gained in popularity globally this year, featuring as everything from an autographed tweet to paintings.

But China's relationship with the technology behind them, which also backs cryptocurrencies, is a complex one.

Under Armour Marks Metaverse Debut With Curry Flow NFT Drop

The issuance by the state news agency would indicate official support for NFTs, but party mouthpiece People's Daily last month criticised them as a possible fraud.

Xinhua said in an official notice that it planned to issue the 11 photos, all taken by journalists during 2021, free of charge online at 8pm (5:30pm IST) on December 24, each in a limited edition of 10,000 copies.

The collection, including a photo commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party, would "imprint digital memories into the metaverse", it added.

Visa Now Has Partnerships With 60 Crypto Platforms Worldwide

The Securities Times, also an official media outlet, has previously called the metaverse, a shared space based on virtual reality technologies, "a grand and illusionary concept."

Chinese companies, notably unlisted Ant Group, are already exploring or applying NFT technologies. And most Chinese metaverse-related stocks rose on Wednesday following the Xinhua announcement.

Augmented reality firm Goertek jumped 6 percent while online gaming company Perfect World gained nearly 4 percent. Chinese social media giant Tencent Holdings said last month it expects Beijing to allow the metaverse to operate in China, provided it fall into line with Chinese rules.

Cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin are seen as the natural means of payment in the metaverse, but Beijing has clamped down on them as possible conduits for illegal capital flows and money laundering, and ordered a blanket ban of trading and mining of digital currencies in September. Bitcoin price in India stood at Rs. 38.97 lakh as of 5pm IST on December 22.

© Thomson Reuters 2021

Interested in cryptocurrency? We discuss all things crypto with WazirX CEO Nischal Shetty and WeekendInvesting founder Alok Jain on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

Affiliate links may be automatically generated - see our ethics statement for details.

Comments

For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who'sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.