Beyond Tariffs and Chaos - Blockchain is Rising as the Pillar of a Parallel Economic System

Source: Cointelegraph Original text: "Beyond Tariffs and Chaos - Blockchain is Rising as a Pillar of the Parallel Economy System"

Opinion provider: Ross Shemeliak, Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of Stobox.

The Trump administration is pushing for a recovery policy trajectory marked by tariffs and sanctions, aimed at relocating production back to the U.S. Despite favorable exemptions for technology, this dramatic shift seems like an example of the White House treating global trade as its playground. The president's tariff agenda has disrupted supply chains overnight, ignoring long-standing economic rules.

This potential and chaotic agenda also witnesses the quiet emergence of a new infrastructure, with blockchain playing a new role in it. As long as it is not purely focused on decentralization, this technology has geopolitical resilience. As global enterprises, especially small and medium-sized enterprises, are increasingly pushed towards blockchain, we are witnessing the global economic map being redrawn into one centered around the tokenization of real-world assets and stablecoins.

Secondary market for tokenized trading assets

There are almost no winners in a trade war. Sanctions and restrictions disrupt international economic rules, with liquidity being one of the primary victims. Companies struggle to finance their operations, while risk management models force banks to take a step back. As the economic order becomes fragmented, a new era dominated by a secondary market for tokenized trading assets is on the horizon.

These tokenized real-world assets—such as accounts receivable, commodities, or shopping time slots—can be divided and sold in a globally licensed market. The capital obtained from outside the sanctioned corridors provides liquidity for companies. As sanctions reduce liquidity, tokenization creates liquidity. In the economic turmoil in the U.S., tokenization has brought opportunities.

Onchain origin

Another impact of sanctions is related to the significance of transparency and traceability. Traceability means that companies importing goods must prove their origin and route, or they risk facing secondary sanctions. Tokenization may be in a favorable position.

This is thanks to tokenized assets with immutable metadata - certificates of origin, transport routes, and customs approvals. The result is real-time, tamper-proof compliance that far exceeds outdated spreadsheets and isolated databases. Manufacturers can directly verify on-chain whether each component used - down to the source of its raw materials - fully complies with sanction requirements.

As trust in banks erodes, the risks of sanctions expand further. Banks are exiting high-risk corridors, leaving companies without neutral payment intermediaries. DeFi infrastructure and tokenized custody represent meaningful alternatives for rebuilding trust without banks. Tokenized custody through smart contracts allows milestone-based payments to be executed via code instead of banks. International transactions can occur without traditional clearing systems while maintaining trust and accountability. When sanctions undermine people's trust in banks, code can intervene as a counterparty.

Stablecoins are the new arteries of sanctions-neutral payments.

The role of stablecoins is greater. This technology no longer solely supports DeFi; it facilitates parallel international trade. While this may seem like a theoretical task, it is happening. Due to geopolitical pressures on fiat rails, companies from Latin America to Southeast Asia are adopting stablecoin-based invoices to sustain their business activities.

Although stablecoins were initially a novelty in the fintech sector, the disruptions caused by sanctions on SWIFT and the freezing of cross-border transfers mean that stablecoins like USDC, USDT, and even EURC are becoming a financial lifeline. A shadow banking system has formed in this sanctioned world. Faster, cheaper, and borderless, this provides three significant advantages:

Neutral Blockchain Center

The profound rifts in geopolitics have brought more opportunities for digital infrastructure. As supply chains become increasingly politicized, the creation of "compliance-first" trade hubs has opened the door for greater use of tokenization.

This is significant because trade centers can be located in neutral countries like Singapore, the UAE, and Turkey. These centers tag ports, warehouses, and logistics routes. Therefore, they embed compliance and provenance data directly into the asset lifecycle. Companies seeking reliable alternatives in an environment filled with geopolitical risks can turn to neutral blockchain centers.

Tokenized Smart Contract

Sanctions are detrimental to traditional contracts—these agreements are static, complex to modify, and rely on intermediaries—when restricted, these agreements become frozen. In contrast, the logic embedded in tokenized smart contracts provides a more dynamic response to regulatory changes.

Let's briefly consider an example—a European supplier tokenizes its invoice and programs the contract to release payment only when the goods clear customs in a non-restrictive jurisdiction. The level of programmable compliance achieved by the technology reduces legal risks, operational delays, and cross-border tensions.

Building infrastructure from uncertainty

U.S. sanctions are creating an unprecedented and challenging economic environment, which has had painful effects on financial institutions and trade partners. As traditional infrastructure collapses, tokenization offers the possibility of building new infrastructure.

On the surface, tokenization and stablecoins are about efficiency and transparency. To realize all the benefits, we need to delve deeper — they are becoming the foundational layer of a parallel global economy. This new order adapts faster than banks and negotiates better than lawyers, and is not affected by sanctions.

The role of blockchain goes far beyond recording transactions. It reinforces geopolitical logic at the asset level. As the next economic map is drawn on the blockchain, the widespread benefits of tokenization are evident.

Opinion Provider: Ross Shemeliak, Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of Stobox

This article aims to provide general information and is not intended to be, nor should it be construed as, legal or investment advice. The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed here are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Cointelegraph.