Solana’s Shanghai event suspended as authorities appear at venue

The disruption began shortly before the scheduled 10 a.m. opening remarks, which were set to feature Solana Foundation President Lily Liu. While organizers officially cited "venue logistics" in an apology sent to participants around noon, witnesses described a more confrontational scene. Attendees were reportedly questioned by police about their presence at the gathering, with some waiting up to 90 minutes before receiving notice that the morning program had been postponed.

Binance co-founder Changpeng Zhao questioned whether the Solana organizers had adequately researched local policies, noting a similar disruption involving a Solana event in Shenzhen last year. The incident underscores the volatile regulatory landscape in mainland China, where authorities reinforced a ban on cryptocurrency-related business activities as recently as February 2026. While the government distinguishes between prohibited financial services and state-sanctioned blockchain infrastructure, the presence of police at the Shanghai event suggests a low threshold for gatherings involving crypto-focused entities. As of Friday, the Foundation had not provided a revised schedule for the upcoming stops in Hangzhou, Shenzhen, and Beijing.