Source: Cointelegraph
Original: “Beyond Tariffs and Chaos - Blockchain is Rising as the Backbone of a Parallel Economy”

Contributor: Ross Shemeliak, Co-founder and COO of Stobox

The Trump administration is pushing a recovery policy trajectory marked by tariffs and sanctions aimed at bringing production back home. 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, disregarding long-standing economic rules.

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

Secondary Market for Tokenized Trading Assets

There are few winners in the trade war. Sanctions and restrictions have disrupted international economic rules, with liquidity being one of the primary victims. Companies struggle to finance their operations, while risk management models force banks to step back. As the economic order fragments, a new era dominated by a secondary market for tokenized trading assets is emerging.

These tokenized real-world assets—such as accounts receivable, commodities, or shopping time slots—can be divided and sold in globally licensed markets. The capital obtained from corridors outside of sanctions provides liquidity for companies. As sanctions reduce liquidity, tokenization creates it. In the economic chaos in the U.S., tokenization has found its opportunity.

Onchain Source

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

This is thanks to tokenized assets with immutable metadata—certificates of origin, transport routes, 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 The result is real-time, tamper-proof compliance that far exceeds outdated spreadsheets and isolated databases.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 dangers of sanctions further expand. Banks withdraw from high-risk corridors, leaving companies without neutral payment intermediaries. DeFi infrastructure and tokenized custody represent meaningful options for rebuilding trust without banks. Tokenized custody through smart contracts allows milestone-based payments to be executed via code rather than banks. International transactions can occur without traditional clearing systems while maintaining trust and accountability. When sanctions undermine trust in banks, code can step in as a counterparty.

Stablecoins as the New Artery of Sanction-Neutral Payments

The role of stablecoins is even greater. This technology no longer merely supports DeFi; it facilitates parallel international trade. While this may seem a theoretical task, it is happening. As fiat rails come under geopolitical pressure, companies from Latin America to Southeast Asia are adopting stablecoin-based invoices to maintain business activities.

While stablecoins were initially a novelty in the fintech space, the disruption of SWIFT by sanctions and the freezing of cross-border transfers mean that stablecoins like USDC, USDT, and even EURC are becoming financial lifelines. A shadow banking system has formed in this sanctioned world. Faster, cheaper, and borderless, this offers three significant advantages:

Neutral Blockchain Hubs

The profound rifts in geopolitics bring more opportunities for digital infrastructure. As supply chains become increasingly politicized, the creation of “compliance-first” trade hubs opens the door for more extensive use of tokenization.

This is significant because trade hubs can be located in neutral countries like Singapore, the UAE, and Turkey. These hubs mark ports, warehouses, and logistics routes. Thus, they embed compliance and source data directly into the asset lifecycle. Companies seeking reliable alternatives in a geopolitically risky environment can turn to neutral blockchain hubs.

Tokenized Smart Contracts

Sanctions are detrimental to traditional contracts—these agreements are static, complex to modify, and rely on intermediaries—when restricted, these agreements freeze. 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 goods clear customs in a non-restrictive jurisdiction. The level of programmable compliance enabled by this technology reduces legal risks, operational lags, and cross-border tensions.

Building Infrastructure from Uncertainty

U.S. sanctions are creating an unprecedented and challenging economic environment that is painfully impacting 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 the full 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 unaffected 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 blockchain, the widespread benefits of tokenization are evident.

Contributor: Ross Shemeliak, Co-founder and COO 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.

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