Crypto's Role in Modern Geopolitical Chess

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, tensions in the Middle East, Trump’s incoming administration, and BRICS’ exploration of de-dollarization, have compounded into what might be a pivotal year for alternative payments systems and geopolitics.

In this episode, host, Eitan Danon (Content Marketing Manager, Chainalysis) sits down with Tom Keatinge, Director of the Center for Finance and Security (CFS) at RUSI to discuss the intersection of digital assets and geopolitics

Tom shares his journey into crypto, highlighting a 2011 Bitcoin meetup in crypto OGs and explains RUSI's history and its focus on financial crime and state-based threats, emphasizing the role of alternative payment systems in geopolitical competition, particularly in the context of sanctions evasion.

He highlights  the increasing state-based activity in financial crime and the strategic importance of the global payment system, including the weaponization of SWIFT, the development of CBDCs and the potential impact of the incoming Trump administration on international financial relations.

Minute-by-minute episode breakdown

2 | Tom’s early journey into crypto in 2012 as an academic 

4 | The origins of the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) and the creation of the Centre for Finance and Security (CFS)

6 | The strategic role of alternative payment systems in global security

10 | Sanctions and the impact it has on Russia and international alternative payment systems 

14 | BRICs and the realities of de-dollarization in global markets

18 | Global financial alliances and increase of western strategic challenges

23 | The future of digital currencies and global economic shifts

27 |  Global financial threats and strategic economic security challenges

31 | RUSI’s focus for 2025 on sanctions, terrorist financing and Europe’s economic challenges

Related resources

Check out more resources provided by Chainalysis that perfectly complement this episode of the Public Key.

• Website: RUSI: The world’s oldest and the UK’s leading defence and security think tank
• Article: The Other Bitcoin Boom: Crypto Mining in Russia’s Shadow Territories
• Article: Central Bank Digital Currencies and National Security: Policy Considerations
• Blog: OFAC Highlights Hundreds of Millions of Dollars in Cryptocurrency Transactions Related to IRGC-connected Houthi Financier Sa’id al-Jamal
• Blog: 2025 Crypto Crime Report Preview: $2.2 Billion Stolen from Crypto Platforms in 2024, but Hacked Volumes Stagnate Toward Year-End as DPRK Slows Activity Post-July
• Press Release: Welcoming Hexagate to Chainalysis and Investing in Prevention
• YouTube: Chainalysis YouTube page
• Twitter: Chainalysis Twitter: Building trust in blockchain
• Tik Tok: Building trust in #blockchains among people, businesses, and governments.
• Telegram: Chainalysis on Telegram
• Book: Paper Soldiers: How The Weaponization of the Dollar Changed the World Order - by Saleha Mohsin

Speakers on today’s episode

• Eitan Danon * Host * (Content Marketing Manager, Chainalysis) 
• Tom Keatinge (Director, Centre for Finance & Security (CFS) at RUSI)

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