Agricultural Bank of China Pilots Computing Power and Token-Based Tech Loans

Agricultural Bank of China has rolled out specialized credit evaluation models and financing products that use computing power metrics and artificial intelligence token consumption to underwrite loans for tech startups. Pilot initiatives across Wenzhou, Hangzhou, and Shanghai have issued credit facilities to enterprises involved in smart cities, chip design, and model deployment, converting intangible computational workloads into collateral-free bank financing.

For asset-light artificial intelligence and semiconductor firms, high computing costs and token usage often strain working capital while traditional bank lending models still favor physical collateral. Monetizing and evaluating compute consumption as measurable credit assets represents a notable shift in bank risk assessment, potentially easing liquidity bottlenecks for early-stage digital technology enterprises.

Agricultural Bank of China has launched a series of credit evaluation models and targeted loan facilities that treat computing power and artificial intelligence token usage as core criteria for corporate lending, according to a report by People's Daily. In Zhejiang province, the bank's Lucheng sub-branch in Wenzhou partnered with local economic and big data authorities to extend a 2 million yuan ($280,000) credit line to Zhejiang Chengan Big Data Co., a smart city and artificial intelligence developer. The credit facility was structured around the enterprise's token production and computational consumption, alongside technological innovation indices, representing the city's first credit loan evaluated primarily on computational throughput. In Hangzhou, the bank's Xiaoshan branch applied a 'computing power account' assessment model to provide 9.5 million yuan in financing to Hangzhou Zhongke Yixin Microelectronics Technology Co., a radio-frequency chip designer. The model factored data asset accumulation and computational input-output ratios into the credit underwriting process to support research and development as well as capacity expansion. Meanwhile, in Shanghai, the bank's Xuhui sub-branch introduced a dedicated 'Token Loan' facility in June. Designed to evaluate prospective token demand for model training and deployment, the product recently funded Shanghai Huizhixing Information Technology Development Co. within Xuhui District's Yuanli Community startup cluster to finance token procurement and daily operations. These financing tools form part of the lender's broader strategy to support the computing industry through integrated equity, debt, credit, leasing, and advisory mechanisms under its specialized tech-finance framework.