The China Center for Information Industry Development (CCID), a think tank under the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, released its second Global Public Chain Technology Evaluation Index on June 20. Building on the first edition that covered 28 projects, the new index expanded to 30 by adding two prominent projects: EOS and Nebulas. The rankings sparked significant discussion across the crypto community, as EOS debuted at the top, Ethereum slipped to second, and Bitcoin dropped from 13th to 17th place.
Evaluation Criteria: Pure Technology, No Market Noise
The CCID Public Chain Technology Assessment Working Group explained that the second-phase assessment model was optimized compared to the first. Improvements included an enhanced security assessment algorithm and a new evaluation indicator for the ease of deploying public-chain nodes. However, the basic assessment framework remained unchanged, focusing on three key dimensions: basic technology level, application usefulness, and project innovativeness. Notably, the index deliberately ignored market-driven factors such as liquidity, trading volume, adoption rate, or price. According to the CCID Network, “the second-phase assessment model has been optimized… The security assessment algorithm has been improved and the evaluation indicator for ease of deployment of public-chain nodes has been added.”
Why EOS Topped the List
EOS had not been included in the first index because its mainnet only launched on June 10. Despite a temporary suspension shortly after launch, the project impressed the evaluators with its rapid software updates and intense technological innovation. The CCID stated: “The EOS main network went live on June 10. Although there was an accident such as a short-term suspension, it was highly active in technological innovation, and the software update speed was still one of the new generation public chains that are currently most concerned by the industry. However, due to its short on-line time, the stability of the network remains to be observed.” EOS received an overall score of 161.5, comfortably ahead of Ethereum’s 138.4. Bitcoin, by contrast, scored only 91.5, placing it squarely in the lower half of the ranking.
Bitcoin’s Decline Raises Questions
Bitcoin, the most well-known cryptocurrency, fell from 13th place to 17th place compared to the first index. Bitcoin Cash also dropped slightly from 25th to 28th. This ranking highlights a stark contrast between the CCID’s technical assessment and broader market sentiment. While Bitcoin excels in security and decentralization, it lags behind newer platforms in terms of smart contract capability, transaction throughput, and developer activity — all factors weighted heavily by the CCID. Two days after the index release, the EOS Core Arbitration Forum issued its first censorship order, directing block producers to refuse to process transactions from 27 specific wallet addresses. The move added uncertainty regarding EOS’s governance model and long-term stability.
The CCID’s rankings provide a unique, government-backed perspective on blockchain projects, but their narrow technical focus may not capture the full value proposition of networks like Bitcoin. As the crypto ecosystem evolves, the debate between technological capability and network security continues to shape the industry landscape.