The Chengdu branch of Industrial and Commercial Bank of China said it has issued Sichuan’s first Token computing power loan to a high-tech enterprise in the Chengdu High-tech Zone, marking a credit case that incorporates AI computing power usage and token procurement costs into loan assessment.

According to the disclosed details, the borrower is a technology company focused on software development, mini-program and app development, and deployment of AI intelligent systems. The company had faced financing difficulties because it lacked traditional collateral typically required in bank lending.

ICBC’s Chengdu branch said the loan was structured using real computing power bills, token invocation logs, computing power service contracts, AI business orders and accounts receivable as core evidence in the credit review. The bank also said the case was the first in Sichuan to include the company’s AI computing power consumption and token procurement costs in its credit evaluation system.

The funds are earmarked for large-model API calling fees and computing power leasing fees. The stated purpose is to reduce pressure from a common mismatch in AI operations, where companies must pay upfront for computing resources while project income arrives later.

The announcement points to a financing approach built around operating data and commercial contracts rather than fixed-asset collateral. With the available information, ICBC did not disclose the loan size, tenor, pricing or whether similar facilities are already being prepared for other borrowers.

Why It Matters

The case is notable because it shows a large state-owned bank branch recognizing AI infrastructure spending as part of formal credit assessment. For AI companies, especially service providers and application developers, financing often depends on whether lenders can underwrite intangible operating activity rather than property or equipment.

It also highlights a developing overlap between banking, AI infrastructure and usage-based digital resources. Even without a direct crypto angle, the use of token logs, API records and computing service contracts in underwriting suggests financial institutions are testing new ways to measure digital production activity and cash-flow quality.