Could China ‘militarise’ cryptocurrencies to beat financial sanctions?

South China Morning PostCenterEN 1 min read 100% complete by Jane CaiOctober 25, 2025 at 05:55 PM

AI Summary

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A commentary in Study Times, an official newspaper of China's Central Party School, discusses how digital currencies are becoming a significant tool in global geopolitics and military applications. The article highlights that nations are using both central bank-issued digital currencies and private cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin to bypass sanctions and maintain economic stability during conflicts. It notes the 2025 US National Defence Authorization Act approved a Pentagon initiative known as the Defence Blockchain Internal Testing Programme, indicating potential for digital currencies in financial defense strategies. The author, Xue Zichen, emphasizes that these assets offer fast, secure, and anonymous transactions, potentially militarizing digital currency use.

Key Topics & Entities

US National Defence Authorisation Act 50% Pentagon 60% US 70% China ×280%

Keywords

digital currencies 90% financial sanctions 85% militarisation 80% geopolitics 75% central banks 65% blockchain technology 60% pentagon initiative 55% economic stability 50% study times 45% defence blockchain internal testing programme 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Negative

Score: -0.20

Source Transparency

Source

South China Morning Post

Political Lean

Center (0.10)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

Geographic Perspective

China

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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digital currencies financial sanctions militarisation geopolitics central banks blockchain technology pentagon initiative economic stability study times defence blockchain internal testing programme

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