Crypto Regulations China: What’s Banned, What’s Allowed, and How It Affects Global Crypto

When it comes to crypto regulations China, the strictest and most coordinated government response to cryptocurrency in modern history. Also known as China’s crypto crackdown, it reshaped how the world thinks about digital assets overnight. In 2021, China didn’t just restrict crypto—it outlawed mining, shut down exchanges, blocked access to foreign platforms, and told banks to cut ties with anyone trading Bitcoin or Ethereum. This wasn’t a slow policy shift. It was a full stop.

What made this different from other countries? Most governments try to regulate crypto. China just wanted it gone. crypto mining ban China, the decision to shut down all Bitcoin mining operations within its borders. Also known as crypto mining prohibition, it forced over 70% of global Bitcoin mining offline in months. Miners fled to Kazakhstan, the U.S., and Nigeria. The hash rate dropped by half. And yet, Bitcoin kept going. Meanwhile, Bitcoin ban China, the effective prohibition of peer-to-peer crypto trading and exchange access. Also known as cryptocurrency legality China, it meant ordinary people couldn’t legally buy Bitcoin on domestic platforms like Huobi or OKX anymore. Even using a VPN to access Binance became risky. The People’s Bank of China made it clear: only the digital yuan counts. Everything else is a threat to financial control.

But here’s the twist: the ban didn’t kill crypto in China. It pushed it underground. Private wallets, OTC traders, and offshore platforms still move billions daily. Some companies even quietly run mining rigs in remote provinces under the radar. And while retail trading is blocked, institutions with deep pockets still find ways to hold crypto—often through Hong Kong or offshore subsidiaries. The government doesn’t want people owning Bitcoin. But it can’t stop them from holding it in silence.

What does this mean for the rest of the world? China’s move forced exchanges to rethink compliance. It showed that a single country could disrupt global markets overnight. It also proved that crypto doesn’t need government approval to survive. Even when banned, it finds a way. The posts below dig into exactly how this crackdown unfolded, who got caught in it, and what lessons it teaches for other countries considering similar moves. You’ll find real stories from traders, miners who lost everything, and the hidden networks still keeping crypto alive inside China’s borders.