China’s Wenzhou Residents Bolster the Idea of a ‘Blockchain Village’ – Bitcoin.com
What happened: Chinese social media caught a glimpse of a new physical use for bitcoin when images surfaced on microblogging platform Weibo showing cryptocurrency-themed (and funded) guardrails in Yuedong, a village in the eastern province of Zhejiang near Wenzhou. According to residents, the village owes its progressive attitude toward blockchain technologies to Btcchina cryptocurrency exchange founder Yang Linke, who was born there. A blockchain theme park is also being built in Yuedong to capitalize on the rising number of tourists seeking to witness what appears to be a crypto first.
Why it’s important: Despite far-reaching bans and regulations imposed on cryptocurrency by the central government, local support for the embattled tech seems to persist. One local resident reported that Wenzhou government officials have reacted positively to the cryptocurrency-themed carvings. Additionally, some villagers have taken up developing decentralized apps, or dapps, and Wenzhou even has its own EOS node. These grassroots developments offer some proof that China’s influence on the future of blockchain is alive and well.