Coinbase has quietly begun letting mainland China residents register and verify accounts with a Chinese national ID and a local address, replacing an earlier setup that required a Chinese passport and a Hong Kong address.

Users reportedly cleared identity checks in about a minute. Coinbase has not confirmed the change, and it stays unclear whether the shift extends beyond account sign-ups to actual trading. The move is striking given China’s 2021 ban on crypto trading and on overseas platforms serving its residents; COIN stock ticked higher on the report.