China to Launch First National ‘Digital Asset’ Marketplace

While trading digital collectibles has been popular among Chinese collectors through heavily regulated marketplaces, this is the country’s first official foray into NFTs.

China is launching its first state-backed non-fungible token (NFT) marketplace, the latest sign of embrace for a technology that has occupied a legal gray area within the country’snotoriously strict regulations on cryptocurrency.

The platform will be run by three state-owned and private entities, including China Technology Exchange and Art Exhibitions China, both of which are government-backed, and Huban Digital, a private company, according to a report by Chinese state media outlet China Daily.

The marketplace, whose name translates to “China Digital Asset Trading Platform,” will also be used to trade digital copyrights and property rights along with collectibles.

The platform’s underlying blockchain is called “China Cultural Protection Chain,” according to the report.

NFTs have been popular among Chinese traders for much of the past two years, but not in the same ways as the rest of the world. NFTs in China cannot be purchased with cryptocurrency, according to the country’s laws, and they aren’t referred to as NFTs, but as digital collectibles.

Digital artwork is also traded on closed, highly regulated platforms as opposed to open ones. Earlier this month, a Chinese courtruledthat digital assets have similar property rights to items sold on e-commerce sites, which was seen as a major milestone in their protection.

Who is Satoshi Nakamoto?

"Who is Satoshi Nakamoto?" is dedicated to the mysterious creation of Bitcoin, and acts as the showcase artwork within Javier Arrés’ exploratory series "Bitcoin, The Origin". "Who is the creator of Bitcoin?" The artist, Arrés, explores this question, and the feelings of doubt and mystery that accompany it, through his unique artistic language. An unknown, an enigma. It should be remembered that the name Satoshi Nakamoto is a pseudonym of Bitcoin's author or authors and gives us little insight into its true creator. For this Visual Toy, Arrés uses the signature claw machine, his famous half-operation, to symbolize our collective ignorance and unconfirmed belief: As soon as it has the stuffed animal within its grasp and appears to have solved the puzzle, the animal escapes again, and again. At present, there are three more public and studied possibilities who are either believed to be the creators of the currency or who directly claim the creation of it. It may be all or none of them, yet these three personalities leave us clues which are an important part of this interesting enigma. For this moment, it will remain unknown... In this artwork, Arrés elevates the claw machine from the apparatus, to an iconic pop art object serving as an important element to the Bitcoin creation narrative. Action is everywhere, with each movement serving an iconographical or metaphorical purpose related directly to cryptocurrency: Various ups and downs, roller coasters, mining points, robot, coins and more speak to a sense of hope, risk, mystery, randomness and possibility of pay out. Hundreds of manically thought out details make this creation one of the artist’s most complex Visual Toys to date. ------- "Bitcoin, The Origin" is a set of two Visual Toys, titled "Who is Satoshi Nakamoto" and "It’s Alive!" which reflect and explore the mystery and enigmas behind the creation of Bitcoin. Arrés presents these proposals to us in his signature style, full of iconography, fantasy, maniacal animations and a panoply of details (both subtle and overt) which simultaneously fascinate, hypnotize, and narrate this historical milestone through the singular vision of the artist. Through this series, Arrés freezes a crucial moment of cryptocurrency history, taking a still photo under his vision and turning it into two unique crypto artworks. ---- More info about Javier Arrés: https://javierarres.com/about.html

30/12/2022 China to Launch First National ‘Digital Asset’ Marketplace

While trading digital collectibles has been popular among Chinese collectors through heavily regulated marketplaces, this is the country’s first official foray into NFTs.