China launches intergovernmental AI body with 29 countries, signaling a tech governance split that crypto can’t ignore

China launched the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization (WAICO) with 29 countries on July 16, 2025, to coordinate global AI development around safety, fairness, and inclusivity, excluding any reference to blockchain or digital assets. The initiative, proposed by China at the 2025 World AI Conference, signals a widening gap between AI policy and crypto regulation globally, potentially redirecting talent and capital away from crypto-friendly ecosystems.

China launches intergovernmental AI body with 29 countries, signaling a tech governance split that crypto can’t ignore The new World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization excludes any mention of blockchain or digital assets, reinforcing the widening gap between AI policy and crypto regulation globally. Twenty-nine countries just signed up for China’s vision of the AI future. Not one of them mentioned crypto. On July 16, representatives from 29 nations gathered in Shanghai to formally establish the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization, or WAICO. The independent intergovernmental body, proposed by China at the 2025 World Artificial Intelligence Conference, is designed to coordinate global AI development around principles of safety, fairness, and inclusivity. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres attended the signing ceremony. Who’s in the room, and who isn’t The founding member list includes Russia, Belarus, Serbia, Cuba, Brazil, and Venezuela among the 29 signatories. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi represented Beijing at the ceremony, which took place on the eve of the annual World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai. President Xi Jinping is expected to outline China’s broader global vision for AI at the WAIC. The initiative traces back to China’s 2017 national AI plan, which set an explicit target: become the world’s leader in artificial intelligence by 2030. The crypto-shaped hole in the conversation What’s conspicuously absent from the entire WAICO framework is any reference to cryptocurrencies, blockchain technology, or digital assets. Not a footnote, not a working group, not even a polite nod. China’s approach to digital assets has been restrictive since its sweeping crypto ban in 2021, so the exclusion isn’t exactly shocking. But the fact that 28 other countries signed onto a framework that maintains this separation suggests a broader consensus, at least among WAICO members, that AI governance and digital asset regulation are fundamentally different policy domains. What this means for investors The establishment of WAICO creates a bifurcated global landscape for technology governance. Companies and projects operating at the intersection of AI and crypto now face a regulatory environment where their core value proposition isn’t just unrecognized by a major governance bloc — it’s structurally excluded. China attracting partnerships and investment through WAICO could redirect talent and capital flows away from ecosystems that have been more crypto-friendly. Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy https://cryptobriefing.com/editorial-policy/ .