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Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has requested a plan to use blockchain technology as a potential workaround for future banking sanctions, citing concerns over the end of U.S. military aid and the need for economic independence.

What is a key fact in this story? (1)

**Netanyahu** said he has asked for a plan to use blockchain to circumvent possible banking sanctions, emphasizing the need to prepare for a future without U.S. defense funding.

What is a key fact in this story? (2)

**Netanyahu** stated that U.S. military aid to Israel will end 'sooner or later,' with the current $3.8 billion-a-year agreement expiring in September 2028, and urged economic self-reliance.

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Netanyahu Orders Blockchain Plan to Bypass Sanctions — SkimNews

By Decrypt · Summarized & edited by Kapil Samant · 2026-10-23

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Netanyahu said he has asked for a plan to use blockchain to circumvent possible banking sanctions, emphasizing the need to prepare for a future without U.S. defense funding.
Netanyahu stated that U.S. military aid to Israel will end 'sooner or later,' with the current $3.8 billion-a-year agreement expiring in September 2028, and urged economic self-reliance.
Elliptic reported that Russia’s ruble-pegged stablecoin A7A5 moved $102 billion in its first year before sanctions and a major exchange hack slashed its daily volume by 96%.
Bank Leumi, Israel’s largest bank, plans to offer Bitcoin trading in early 2027 through Galaxy Digital, pending approval from the Bank of Israel.
Netanyahu compared Israel’s potential crypto strategy to actions by Venezuela and Russia, though he did not name specific currencies or networks under consideration.
Defense Minister Israel Katz sanctioned 37 crypto wallets linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, holding over 24 million shekels, underscoring Israel’s active monitoring of crypto-based terror financing.

Why it matters: If Israel pursues a blockchain-based alternative to traditional banking, it would mark a strategic shift toward financial resilience amid geopolitical risk, but faces hurdles given crypto's traceability and the precedent of sanctions crippling similar efforts in Russia and Venezuela. The $3.8 billion annual U.S. aid cliff in 2028 adds urgency.