China’s masses appear far less enamored with the country’s central bank digital currency (CBDC) than they are with the illicit use of unauthorized digital assets.

On May 13, the South China Morning Post reported that mainland Chinese who are receiving some or all of their salary in the country’s digital yuan (e-CNY) are immediately converting it to real yuan. The report focused on individuals working directly for the government or for state-owned enterprises, making their reluctance to embrace e-CNY all the more embarrassing for the Party and its efforts to promote the product.

The SCMP detailed the story of Sammy Lin, an account manager at a state-owned bank who receives her entire monthly salary via the e-CNY app. From there, the digital yuan can be transferred to her bank account and converted to cash, an option that she takes every time without hesitation.

Lin said she prefers not to keep the money in the e-CNY app “because there’s no interest if I leave it there. There are …