Xiong'an Blockchain Laboratory: Building a High Ground for Smart City Blockchain Innovation

Recently, there have been frequent good news in the Blockchain field. The pilot range of central bank digital currency has expanded, and the national-level Blockchain platform BSN is about to launch. Behind these exciting news are the long-term efforts of the government and enterprises. As a "millennium plan", Xiong'an New Area has conducted extensive pilots in both legal digital currency and self-controlled Blockchain platforms.

On March 31, the Xiong'an New Area Blockchain Laboratory was officially established, marking the local determination to systematically deepen research and application of Blockchain. Over the past two years, Xiong'an has made many explorations in the Blockchain field: launching a capital management platform, building a fintech laboratory, and promoting a rental application platform, among others. In the government-led Blockchain landscape, Xiong'an occupies an important position in terms of policy support, application scenarios, institutional participation, and mission positioning.

The newly established laboratory will become a window for observing the development of the Xiong'an Blockchain. The deputy director of the laboratory, Li Jun, stated that the original intention of its establishment is to study the blockchain technology, application scenarios, and concepts required for serving smart cities and the digital economy, and to act as a driver and leader of innovation. In the future, it will also export knowledge and technical capabilities.

The main participants in the construction of the laboratory are two types of enterprises: large state-owned enterprises and central enterprises responsible for the construction tasks in Xiong'an, as well as state-owned and joint-stock banks. In addition, research institutions from universities such as Beihang University and the Chinese Academy of Sciences are also involved. The laboratory is also open to small and medium-sized enterprises related to innovation and entrepreneurship, and the relevant access mechanism is currently being formulated.

The laboratory will focus on two main directions: the construction of smart cities and the development of the digital economy, researching open-source Blockchain for smart cities, Blockchain infrastructure, as well as related operational mechanisms and theoretical methods. All Blockchain technology research and development will adopt an open-source form to embody the core concept of Blockchain.

In the field of standard research and testing certification, the laboratory is developing local standard specifications needed for the construction of Xiong'an, which is expected to expand into national and even international standards in the future. The laboratory will collaborate with relevant institutions to study how to customize the application of Blockchain in various sub-fields of smart cities.

In terms of personnel composition, the laboratory will create an open environment, welcoming talents from all sectors to bring projects on board. Some high-level talents may receive funding support, and the admission criteria are relatively high. The laboratory will also build a controllable Blockchain underlying technology platform and be compatible with other Blockchain platforms suitable for smart city applications.

Regarding the implementation of blockchain applications, Li Jun believes this is a long-term trend, but the specific scale and speed are difficult to predict. Xiong'an has already seen multiple blockchain applications, and the laboratory will focus on the overall direction of smart cities in the future, linking these "scattered pearls" into a system. The application areas may cover social governance, public services, smart transportation, and dozens of other directions and scenarios.

Although Blockchain is not directly listed as part of the new infrastructure, it is closely integrated with new infrastructures such as 5G and artificial intelligence, and is expected to develop rapidly as a result. Li Jun stated that if the Blockchain pilot in Xiong'an is successful, it is expected to develop Blockchain into an industry in the future.