VPN Usage for Crypto Access in China: Legal Risks in 2025

Using a VPN to access cryptocurrency exchanges in China isn’t just risky-it’s a legal tightrope. By 2025, China has fully banned all private cryptocurrency activity: no trading, no mining, no holding, no exchanges. Yet people still try. They use VPNs to bypass the Great Firewall, hoping to reach Binance, Kraken, or other foreign platforms. What they don’t realize is that they’re stacking two illegal acts on top of each other: breaking internet censorship rules and violating financial regulations. The consequences aren’t theoretical. They’re happening right now.

China’s Crypto Ban Is Absolute

As of June 1, 2025, China’s ban on cryptocurrency is total. The People’s Bank of China, along with the National Administration of Financial Regulation and the Cyberspace Administration of China, made it clear: no one in mainland China can legally trade, hold, or mine Bitcoin, Ethereum, or any other private digital asset. This isn’t a gray area. It’s a hard stop. Even if you bought crypto before the ban, keeping it now is technically illegal. Courts have occasionally recognized crypto as property in civil cases-like divorce settlements or fraud claims-but that doesn’t mean you can trade it. It just means if someone stole your Bitcoin, you might get compensation. You still can’t buy more.

Why? Because China wants full control over its financial system. The government isn’t trying to stop innovation-it’s trying to replace it. The digital yuan (e-CNY) is the real target. It’s a state-controlled digital currency that tracks every transaction, enforces spending limits, and can be frozen remotely. Private crypto? It’s a threat to that control. No decentralization. No anonymity. No outside influence. Just the central bank’s ledger.

VPNs Are Now High-Risk Tools

VPNs are the go-to workaround. They mask your IP address, making it look like you’re browsing from Singapore or the U.S. That lets you reach Binance’s website, which is blocked inside China. But here’s the catch: China doesn’t just block VPNs. It hunts them.

Since 2023, the government has cracked down hard on unauthorized VPN services. Apps like ExpressVPN, NordVPN, and Surfshark are routinely removed from Chinese app stores. Even if you install one from abroad, it often stops working within days. The Great Firewall now uses AI to detect encrypted traffic patterns that match known VPN protocols. When it finds them, it throttles your connection or cuts it entirely. Some users report their mobile data gets shut off for hours-or even days-until they delete the app and report to local police.

And it’s not just about losing internet. Police in cities like Shenzhen and Guangzhou have started confiscating phones from suspected users. They plug the device into forensic tools, scan for crypto wallet apps, transaction history, and VPN logs. If they find anything, you’re asked to come in for a “chat.” No arrest, not yet-but your phone stays. Your service gets cut. Your name goes on a list.

Why the Combination Is So Dangerous

Using a VPN to access crypto isn’t two separate violations. It’s one big red flag. Authorities don’t look at them in isolation. They connect the dots: VPN + crypto wallet + cross-border transfers = potential money laundering. The Ministry of Public Security and State Administration of Foreign Exchange monitor exactly this kind of activity. Banks are required to flag any transaction linked to a crypto exchange-even if it’s routed through a foreign bank account. If you send $5,000 to a Binance wallet using a VPN, your bank will report it. The system automatically triggers an investigation.

What happens next? It depends. For small amounts, you might get a warning. For larger sums-say, over 100,000 RMB-you could face administrative fines, asset seizure, or even criminal charges under China’s “illegal fundraising” laws. The government doesn’t need to prove you’re trading. Just having the tools-VPN, wallet app, transaction history-is enough to trigger penalties. And if you’re a foreigner? Doesn’t matter. The rules apply to everyone inside China’s borders.

Stablecoins Aren’t Safe Either

Some people think using USDT or USDC is smarter. After all, they’re tied to the dollar. But in China, stablecoins are treated the same as Bitcoin. The government sees them as tools to bypass capital controls. Even if you’re not trading them, just holding them in a wallet can get you flagged. There’s no legal distinction between “crypto” and “stablecoin” under Chinese law. Both are classified as unregulated digital assets.

There’s one exception: China is quietly testing offshore yuan-linked stablecoins in Hong Kong and Macau. But those are tightly controlled, government-approved projects with strict KYC. You can’t use them from mainland China. Trying to access them through a VPN just makes you look like you’re trying to circumvent the system-which is exactly what they’re trying to stop.

What Happens If You Get Caught?

Most people think they won’t get caught. That’s the biggest mistake. China’s enforcement is automated, coordinated, and relentless. Here’s what real cases look like:

• A university student in Chengdu used a VPN to trade Bitcoin. He sent 50,000 RMB to Binance over six months. His bank flagged the transfers. Police visited his dorm. His phone was seized. He was fined 20,000 RMB and banned from using any foreign financial services for one year.
• A foreign contractor in Shanghai used a VPN to buy Ethereum to send money home. His employer’s corporate bank account was flagged for suspicious activity. He was deported after a 72-hour detention.
• A woman in Hangzhou held $15,000 in crypto for three years. When she tried to cash out through a peer-to-peer buyer, the buyer was arrested for money laundering. She was summoned to the police station. Her crypto was confiscated. She received no compensation.

There are no public records of jail time for simple crypto possession-but that doesn’t mean it won’t happen. The laws are broad enough to charge someone with “illegal business operations” or “financial fraud” if authorities believe the activity disrupted market order. The penalties are rising. Fines are increasing. Confiscations are becoming standard.

The Digital Yuan Is the Real Alternative

China isn’t trying to ban technology. It’s trying to own it. The digital yuan isn’t just a payment app. It’s a financial surveillance tool. Every transaction is recorded. Every merchant must accept it. Every citizen can be monitored. And it’s expanding fast. In 2025, over 150 million people use e-CNY for daily purchases-from street vendors to subway tickets. The government is pushing it into pensions, welfare, and even school meal programs.

There’s no need to risk your freedom for Bitcoin when you can use a government-backed digital currency that works instantly, offline, and without borders. The trade-off? You give up anonymity. But you also give up the risk of arrest.

Is There Any Way Out?

No. Not really.

If you’re in China and you want to use crypto, you’re choosing between two bad options: break the law and risk your freedom, or accept that the system won’t let you play. There’s no legal loophole. No safe VPN. No untraceable wallet. The government has spent billions building systems to catch you. They’ve trained thousands of officers to find you. They’ve pressured banks, tech companies, and even app stores to help them.

Some people say, “But I’m just holding it.” Or, “I’m not trading, just storing.” That doesn’t matter. The law doesn’t care about your intent. It cares about your actions. And if your phone has a crypto wallet and a VPN, you’re already on their radar.

The only safe path is to walk away. Use the digital yuan. Keep your crypto outside China. Don’t try to outsmart the system. It’s not a game. It’s a legal trap with no exit.