Solana's ambitious plan to enter the Chinese mainland encountered obstacles early on. Its "Accelerate China 2026" tour event in Shanghai was reportedly suddenly suspended due to the presence of police officers at the venue.
Key Points
- The " Accelerate China " event in Shanghai, which is part of Solana, was reportedly suspended due to the presence of police officers at the scene.
- Co-founder of Binance, CZ, questions whether the organizers have a sufficient understanding of China's local crypto regulations.
- This incident brings uncertainty to Solana's broader expansion plans in China.
It is reported that on October 16th, attendees who arrived at the event site in Shanghai found that there were about eight to nine law enforcement officers present, and some participants were prevented from entering for over an hour.
Subsequently, the organizers informed the registered guests that due to 'logistical arrangements' for the venue, the agenda for that morning was postponed. The organizers did not immediately announce a new time, and neither the Solana Foundation nor the relevant Chinese authorities publicly confirmed whether it was the regulatory authorities who ordered the cancellation of the event.
CZ Questions Solana's understanding of the situation in China
Chao Changpeng ( Changpeng Zhao ), co-founder of Binance, also better known in the crypto community as CZ, quickly commented on this interruption. "I'm very regretful to see this. It seems they indeed don't understand the local policies?" CZ wrote on X. He also pointed out that a similar incident occurred less than a year ago.
CZ refers to an event organized by Solana in Shenzhen in 2025. At that time, the police also went to the scene for inquiries, and the event was also disrupted.
It is worth noting that just the day before, CZ actually praised Solana for their growing presence in China.
Solana recently established an office in Shanghai and started advertising locally. CZ described this progress as “amazing”, and mentioned that BNB Chain has not been able to establish an equivalent presence on the Chinese mainland.
Solana Uncertainty looms over China's touring activities
Shanghai was originally the first stop of the “Accelerate China” four-city tour, with a focus on blockchain infrastructure, AI, payment, and developer technologies. Subsequent events are scheduled to take place on October 18th in Hangzhou, October 20th in Shenzhen, and October 22nd in Beijing. The official website of Solana still listed these events as upcoming at that time.
Whether the remaining " Accelerate China " events will proceed as planned may now become an important indicator to determine whether the interruption at the Shanghai venue is merely a localized issue, or whether it represents a larger regulatory obstacle facing the Solana expansion strategy.
