Solana’s Shanghai event halted over unauthorized promotion: Report

Solana’s promotional campaigns through domestic entities allegedly violated China’s crypto-related restrictions, an unidentified PBOC official told China’s Financial News.

Chinese authorities halted the Solana Accelerate event in Shanghai over alleged unauthorized promotional activities involving domestic entities, China’s state-backed Financial News reported on Friday.

The outlet cited an unidentified official from a department of the People’s Bank of China (PBOC), who said Solana had promoted its brand through domestic entities, including by placing advertisements on a building in Shanghai’s Lujiazui financial district.

The official also claimed that Solana provides technical services supporting the issuance and trading of cryptocurrencies, which he described as illegal financial activities under Chinese regulations.

It marked the second reported disruption of a Solana event in mainland China in the past two years, highlighting how the country’s restrictions extend beyond digital asset trading.  An October 2025 Solana event in Shenzhen was also cut short over venue capacity and public-safety concerns, according to an X announcement by Solana’s Chinese-speaking community.  

In an Oct. 16 X post, Solana Foundation president Lily Liu said organizers postponed the Shanghai event to “comply with local requirements” after an event registration unexpectedly quadrupled, exceeding the event cap pre-registered with local authorities.

In a February notice, the PBOC and several other agencies doubled down on crypto-related restrictions and included a new ban on the unauthorized issuance of yuan-pegged stablecoins.

Related: Solana’s Alpenglow launches on mainnet, targets 99% faster finality

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