One launched, users would download an electronic wallet which would be linked to a bank card.

Then, the money would be taken from this linked bank account and converted into digital cash. But there is also an option not to link any bank account at all, South China Morning Post reports.

The whole thing would be operated by China’s central bank – the People’s Bank of China (PBOC).

The trials for the currency are currently being run in four different cities across China, but Bloomberg reports that a wider – but possibly complete – rollout penned for the Beijing Winter Olympics in 2022.

Xu Yuan, a senior researcher with Peking University’s Digital Finance Research Centre, told SCMP that China’s digital currency may be one “the two defining historic events of 2020” along with the coronavirus pandemic.

Generally, the new system would make it easier for the PBOC to trace cashflow and credit data, Xu added.

However, it isn’t clear how or if this would differ from any tracking carried out on traditional online banks.

Former Bank of China President Li Lihui said in a live streaming talk on People’s News on May 5 that the digital Yuan “can become the dominant form of currency,” but that this would depend on whether it allowed for greater efficiency, lower transaction costs, economic scale and general acceptance, Cointelegraph reports.

READ MORE: Bitcoin surges as cryptocurrency jumps $13 BILLION in huge rally

But for all the talk of revolutionising payment systems, China’s digital currency is not to be confused with cryptocurrencies – of which Bitcoin is probably the most famous type.

Both currencies will be digital and operate via digital wallets, but the most important difference is how the systems are regulated.

China’s DCEP system will be operated and tracked by a central bank, cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin work in the complete opposite way.

Cryptocurrencies are completely decentralised – meaning that the whole system is run publicly by a network of computers.

DON'T MISS
Bitcoin price boom: Cryptocurrency surges by nearly 20 percent [REVEALED]
Bitcoin price latest: Cryptocurrency plunges 25% in 24 hours [INSIGHT]
Bitcoin price breaks $7k amid coronavirus crisis after scam warning [EXPLAINED]

Proponents of cryptocurrencies say that these payment systems allow for greater anonymity and offer a way to pay outside of central banks or governments.

But on the other hand, cryptocurrencies are used increasingly for criminal purposes such as illegal drug purchases, the NY Times reports.

In fact, China has been cracking down on its use of Bitcoin in recent years.

Developers of cryptocurrencies often hold fundraising events known as initial coin offerings, which have been banned in China, according to CNBC.

China has been exploring the possibility of a digital currency since 2014, SCMP reports.

In other finance news, head of Tesco finance Alan Stewart has announced his intentions to step down in April next year.