China’s central bank is expanding its digital yuan program for cross-border payments by adding 26 financial institutions to its network, Reuters reports. The update extends the e-CNY system beyond initial domestic use toward the exchange and transfer of value between countries. The newly added institutions join the Cross-border e-CNY Transfer Services (CBETS), which supports cross-border transactions using the digital yuan. The expansion is part of China’s broader effort to improve the efficiency and reduce the cost of cross-border payments, while also encouraging wider international adoption of the yuan. The outlets describe this as part of a steady, ongoing rollout of participation in the platform, reflecting a gradual widening of the ecosystem around e-CNY for international transfers. While the reports focus on the number of institutions and the platform they are joining, they also frame the move as targeting practical payments infrastructure rather than changing the basic currency’s role in trade. The reported inclusion of 26 institutions indicates continued scaling of the program and a further step in developing a cross-border digital-asset payment rail.