<p>China has increased the reach of the digital yuan with its latest giveaway test in Shanghai, the country's financial hub.</p> <p>Shanghai airdropped 350,000 "red packets" over the weekend, each containing 55 digital yuan (around $9) and adding up to a total of nearly 20 million yuan ($3 million). This was the highest number of red packets given away by China in a digital yuan test. Previous tests have involved fewer than 200,000 red envelopes.</p> <p>The Shanghai test suggests that China wants to rope in more citizens to try out the central bank's digital currency.</p> <p>China has more than doubled the total amounts of funds it has given away in recent months, <a href="https://www.theblockcrypto.com/linked/106929/beijing-china-giveaway-6-million-digital-yuan-test">as The Block reported previously</a>. The total amount now stands at $39 million across six cities. As of February, that amount was $17 million across three cities.</p> <p>The six cities now include Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen, Suzhou, Chengdu, and Changsha. As for Shanghai, this was the city's first lottery campaign, although it has previously been involved in <a href="https://www.theblockcrypto.com/daily/90503/shanghai-test-digital-yuan-hardware">digital yuan tests</a>.</p> <p>China is ahead of other major economies to launch a central bank digital currency. China started researching and developing the digital yuan in 2014 but is yet to announce an official launch date.</p>