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Karen Chiu

This article originally appeared on ABACUS
Just a few days after CryptoKitties launched in China and a month after Baidu introduced a blockchain dog game, Xiaomi is reportedly testing its own blockchain pets.
Games like CryptoKitties rely on one key feature of blockchain: Scarcity. There are a limited number of pets -- each with a different appearance -- giving them a certain value. And none of the pets can be replicated or destroyed, which means ownership is secure.
A leaked screenshot of an alleged user agreement circulating among Chinese media shows that Xiaomi’s version is called Jiamitu, which translates to CryptoBunnies. No surprise here, since the gadget maker’s mascot is a white rabbit.

There’s no official announcement from Xiaomi yet, and the reported page jiamitu.mi.com displays a “403 Forbidden” message. But any eventual product will likely have one key difference from CryptoKitties: It won’t be based on an established cryptocurrency.
CryptoKitties are traded in ether, while Baidu has stressed that the points you earn in its game can only be used to trade virtual dogs, and nothing else.
The Chinese government has been clamping down on digital currency trading. Xiaomi’s leaked document shows its CryptoBunnies might be traded in digital points called “rice grains” -- apparently a reference to Xiaomi’s Chinese name, which means “little rice”.
Xiaomi is often accused of taking design inspiration from successful products made by other brands. The Mi Notebook Air bears a striking resemblance to the MacBook Air. And bizarrely enough, the Mi Router Mini looks almost exactly like the Apple’s original Magic Trackpad.

For more insights into China tech, sign up for our tech newsletters, subscribe to our Inside China Tech podcast, and download the comprehensive 2019 China Internet Report. Also roam China Tech City, an award-winning interactive digital map at our sister site Abacus.



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