Rising geopolitical tensions and the Donald Trump administration’s tariffs have urged nations to rethink their dependence on the US financial system.
A new report from investment management firm Vaneck highlights how the weaponization of US trade and financial infrastructure will increase interest in neutral payment systems. Once considered theoretical, these settlement rails are currently being tested in real-world scenarios.
This has steadily emerged as a practical financial product, rather than just a speculative asset for countries seeking to reduce their dependence on the US dollar.
According to Vanek, China and Russia are leading the pivot as they used Bitcoin and other digital assets to resolve certain energy transactions.
This confirms the previous one Encryption This is a report that says Russian oil companies use codes for the oil trade between China and India and are trying to bypass sanctions in the West.
Market analyst Jonathan Hammel explained that confidence in the US financial control began to erode in 2022 when the federal government frozen Russia’s reserves and blocked access to the dollar removal system. The decision, he argues, marked a turning point and accelerated global interest in alternative networks like Bitcoin.
He wrote:
“The US government crossed Rubicon by seizing Russian assets in the Federal Reserve in 2022 and blocking transactions on the USD network (Western Bank, Swift, etc.), so that they (and then Biden administrators) will exacerbate USD flights only and engage in alternative currencies/networks including BTC.
On the other hand, this shift is not limited to the world’s largest economy. Bolivia is considering paying for energy imports using crypto, but French energy giant EDF is exploring Bitcoin mining to use excess electricity that would otherwise be exported to Germany.
Vaneck’s Matthew Sigel points out these examples as early indicators of Bitcoin’s evolving role in global finance. Digital currencies, he explains, are gaining traction in markets that want to minimize dollar exposure and navigate US-led financial frameworks.
