This article originally appeared on ABACUS Everyone’s getting into the blockchain craze, but with a crackdown on digital currencies by the Chinese government, how do the country’s tech giants take advantage of the boom? With pet games based on blockchain. Xiaomi has just launched its own blockchain pet game called Jiamitu , which translates to CryptoBunnies. (The gadget maker’s mascot is a white rabbit .) The launch comes just a few days after CryptoKitties debuted in China and a month after Baidu introduced a blockchain dog game . 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. To get around the government’s clampdown on digital currency trading, Xiaomi’s game has one big difference from CryptoKitties: It’s not based on established cryptocurrency. CryptoKitties are traded in ether, while Baidu has stressed that the points you earn in its game can only be used to buy virtual dogs, and nothing else. The digital points used in Jiamitu are called “carrots”. 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 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 .
