Sanctions Overview - Sanctions are a form of coercion aimed at compelling behavioral changes through economic disruption [1] - Economic sanctions are generally a means to achieve objectives like policy change, regime change, counter-terrorism, or human rights improvements [1][2] - The effectiveness of sanctions in achieving their intended goals is historically low, with success rates estimated at less than 10% [2] Country-Specific Sanction Strategies and Impacts - **Cuba:** The US has maintained a long-standing embargo against Cuba, employing trade blockades and asset freezes, but its effectiveness has been limited due to support from other nations [1] - **Venezuela:** US sanctions on Venezuela, particularly targeting the state-owned oil company PDVSA, have severely impacted the country's economy by restricting access to financial markets and reducing oil revenues [2] - **North Korea:** The UN has imposed extensive sanctions on North Korea due to its nuclear weapons program, but North Korea's self-imposed isolation and illicit activities have reduced the impact of these measures [3] - **Iran:** The US has employed both primary and secondary sanctions against Iran, targeting its nuclear program and energy sector, leading to economic hardship and prompting negotiations at times [4][5] - **Russia:** Following the invasion of Ukraine, Russia has faced unprecedented sanctions, including asset freezes, SWIFT restrictions, and trade limitations, significantly impacting its economy [6] Sanction Mechanisms and Countermeasures - **Trade Blockades and Asset Freezes:** These are classic economic sanction tools used to prevent trade and freeze assets within the sanctioning country [1] - **Secondary Sanctions:** These involve threatening entities in other countries to prevent them from doing business with the sanctioned country, increasing the pressure [5] - **Circumventing Sanctions:** Sanctioned countries often seek alternative buyers, engage in smuggling, develop shadow banking systems, or use cyber warfare to mitigate the impact of sanctions [3][4][6] Unintended Consequences and Ethical Considerations - Sanctions often disproportionately affect the general population of the sanctioned country, leading to humanitarian crises and potentially strengthening authoritarian regimes [3][7] - The use of sanctions can lead to "sanction fatigue," where the initial impact diminishes over time as sanctioned countries adapt and find alternative solutions [7]

Market Disruption - SWIFT processes $2800 billion daily, but its infrastructure is outdated, leading to high costs and long settlement times, creating opportunities for disruption [1] - Stablecoin payments experienced a significant surge, increasing by 806 times from $335 thousand in 2022 to $28 billion in 2025 [1]

Market Trends - Live talking markets are discussed [1] - CZ (Changpeng Zhao) made an "Uptober" call, suggesting a potentially positive outlook for the crypto market in October [1] - SWIFT integration onto Ethereum (ETH) is being explored [1] - Prediction markets are a topic of interest [1]

Morning Minute: SWIFT Goes On-chain► https://t.co/jKHVm2uNpK https://t.co/jKHVm2uNpK ...

Fun fact: A comet smells like rotten eggs, urine, burning matches, and almonds. Most scientists say the closest comparison to this phenomenon on earth is the idea that tokens called XRP would be sold off to retail investors with the illusion that a digital bank drive-up tube is worth more than the money it transfers back and forth because there are only so many tokens in existence and everyone will want one because the banking systems of the world have been quietly making deals for over a decade to make XRP ...

Stablecoin Market & Geopolitics - A7A5, the first ruble-pegged stablecoin, moved $93 billion in just 4 months [1] - Stablecoins are now a tool in geopolitics [1] - A7A5 and Grinex (a new Kyrgyz exchange) stepped in after the US closed Garantex, Russia's CEX [1] A7A5 Stablecoin Details - Launched in Kyrgyzstan, outside Western reach [2] - Backed by ruble deposits in Promsvyazbank (sanctioned) [2] - Runs on Tron & Ethereum [2] - Used as a bridge to USDT & cash out abroad, bypassing SWIFT & sanctions [2] Transaction Analysis - Most flows are weekday, done during office hour, reportedly trade payments or state linked actors [1] - It's not retail driven [1]