The People’s Bank of China (PBOC) announced it will probe the Solana blockchain project after a series of activities in Shanghai drew law‑enforcement attention, according to reports from Bitcoin.com and the South China Morning Post. The investigation follows the abrupt suspension of Solana’s Accelerate conference on Oct. 16, when officials on site intervened and questioned the legality of the event’s operations.

SOL / USD
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Background to the Shanghai Office

In September, the Solana Foundation opened a commercial office in Shanghai’s Lujiazui financial district, marking one of the few visible foreign crypto presences in mainland China. The launch featured a light‑show on the Citibank tower and was praised by Binance co‑founder Changpeng Zhao as a sign that China might be easing its stance on digital assets. However, Chinese regulators have long prohibited domestic crypto trading and token‑issuance services.

Accelerate Event Suspension

The Solana Accelerate conference, which focused on AI, robotics and emerging markets, was halted after local authorities determined that the number of attendees exceeded the capacity registered with officials. Lily Liu, president of the Solana Foundation, said the suspension was to “better accommodate the breadth and scale of our community.” Law‑enforcement presence at the venue, however, indicated deeper regulatory concerns.

Regulatory Context and PBOC Statement

A PBOC‑linked outlet, Financial News, identified Solana as a “virtual currency issuance platform” that provides issuance and trading services for major digital assets, activities deemed illegal under a notice issued in February by eight government agencies, including the central bank. An unnamed PBOC official said overseas entities may not provide real‑world‑asset tokenization services to domestic parties, reinforcing the crackdown on foreign crypto projects operating in China.

What to Watch Next

Observers will monitor whether the PBOC expands its investigation to other foreign blockchain projects and how Solana responds to the probe. Additional scrutiny could affect any future attempts by crypto firms to establish a foothold in China, and may prompt further guidance from Chinese regulators on permissible blockchain activities.