Before Bitcoin became a mainstream topic in China, the digital currency was widely dismissed by local media as unreliable or even fraudulent.
Key Takeaways:
Jihan Wu became the first to translate the full Bitcoin whitepaper into Chinese.
His translation helped counter early misinformation and skepticism around Bitcoin in China.
The move played a major role in shaping China’s early interest and adoption of Bitcoin.
In the early years, investors lacked access to information in their own language, and skepticism overshadowed curiosity. That changed when one early believer took the initiative to bring the Bitcoin whitepaper to a Chinese audience.
In 2011, tech entrepreneur Jihan Wu, who would later co-found Bitmain and Matrixport, recognized Bitcoin’s potential long before the global spotlight reached it. His academic background in economics and computer science made the breakthrough concept of digital scarcity immediately compelling — and he noticed how drastically misinformation stood in the way of adoption.
A Translation That Shifted Perception
Determined to bridge the knowledge gap, Wu translated the entire Bitcoin whitepaper into Chinese, making it the first full version available to the public in the country. The translation gave thousands of new readers direct access to Satoshi Nakamoto’s vision without relying on interpretations from skeptical media outlets.
This move did more than introduce Bitcoin to China — it built a foundation for objective discussion at a time when the digital asset was still viewed with disbelief.
Opening the Door to a New Crypto Ecosystem
Wu later explained in an interview that his intention was not to promote an investment craze but to encourage a rational understanding of the technology. The translation became an early catalyst for the surge of interest that soon followed, helping shape the ecosystem that eventually led to China becoming one of the most influential forces in global crypto mining and trading.
Jihan Wu: The First Person to Translate the Bitcoin Whitepaper into Chinese
Jihan Wu, Co-founder of Bitmain and Co-founder & Chairman of Matrixport, said in an interview with Bitcoin com on October 22, 2019, that during a time when most Chinese media portrayed Bitcoin as either… pic.twitter.com/dWO8HMrZVf
— Wu Blockchain (@WuBlockchain) November 28, 2025
Today, the decision to translate the whitepaper is viewed as a pivotal moment in the early history of Bitcoin’s expansion in mainland China — long before mining firms, exchanges, and hardware manufacturers turned the region into a global crypto powerhouse.
