Iraq Economic News and Points To Ponder Wednesday Morning 8-19-26

"Reform or monetary gamble?" The National: Fears that removing zeros will disrupt markets and shake confidence in the dinar

Baghdad - One News A report by The National has brought the issue of removing zeros from the Iraqi dinar back to the forefront, amid what officials described as serious discussions within the Central Bank, at a time when Iraq is facing increasing pressure on the budget and a decline in oil revenues.

The website quoted Ahmed Rashid, a member of the parliamentary finance committee, as saying that the project is still in the discussion phase and has not yet turned into a draft law or reached the House of Representatives, but he stressed that the current discussions are more serious than previous phases due to the economic and financial conditions that the country is going through.

According to the report, one of the main motives of the project is to try to address the huge amount of liquidity outside the banking system, as estimates indicate that there are about 70 trillion dinars outside the control of the monetary authority, out of about 125 trillion dinars in circulation.

Supporters of the project believe that replacing the old currency with a new one may encourage people with hoarded money to take it out of their homes and safes and return it to the banking system, thus allowing for an expansion of the amount of money passing through the formal financial system.

However, the report also pointed to concerns that the process of removing zeros could become a costly and confusing step for markets if it is not preceded by broader reforms in the banking sector, addressing the heavy reliance on the dollar, corruption, and weak confidence in financial institutions.

The National also pointed out that Iraq remains a largely cash-based society, with millions of citizens keeping their savings outside banks as a result of decades of wars, sanctions, crises and banking scandals, making any large-scale currency replacement extremely sensitive.

The project comes at a time of severe financial pressure, as oil exports, which had reached about 3.4 million barrels per day after the outbreak of war and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, have declined, before returning since the beginning of August to an average of nearly two million barrels per day.

This was reflected in oil revenues, which represent at least 90% of the federal budget, as they decreased from about $6.8 billion in February to about $2.3 billion in May and June, at a time when Iraq needs about $6.5 billion per month to cover salaries, pensions and social welfare.

The report noted a conflict in official positions regarding the stage the project has reached, as Communications Minister Mustafa Sand said that the decision to remove zeros and change the currency had been made, suggesting the possibility of starting implementation in 2027 and the replacement process continuing for three years or more.

In contrast, government spokesman Haider al-Aboudi denied that the cabinet had made a decision on this matter, stressing that the file falls within the powers of the Central Bank and needs to go through the legislative process and be approved by the House of Representatives, while no detailed position was issued by the Central Bank regarding the mechanisms of the project or its timing.

The report indicates that the experiment, if approved, may include a transitional period during which the old and new currency will circulate together before the old banknotes are gradually withdrawn, similar to the experiences of countries that have previously removed zeros from their currencies.

The National concludes that the real dispute is not about removing three zeros per se, but whether Iraq can transform the process into a broader monetary reform that returns hoarded funds to banks and strengthens confidence in the dinar, or whether it will remain a cosmetic step with high costs and risks for the market if it does not address the structural problems of the economy. https://1news-iq.net/إصلاح-أم-مغامرة-نقدية؟-ذا-ناشيونال/

 The Central Bank Of Iraq Concludes A Training Course On OFAC Sanctions Compliance Requirements.

The Compliance Office at the Central Bank of Iraq concluded a specialized training course titled "Compliance Requirements for OFAC Sanctions," held from August 9 to 11, 2026.
The course aimed to enhance the knowledge of staff in compliance and anti-money laundering/counter-terrorism financing (AML/CFT) reporting departments regarding the requirements and mandate of the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), sanctions programs, and implementation mechanisms. It also covered the Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) List, name verification procedures, and protocols for screening customers and transactions.

This course reflects the Central Bank of Iraq’s commitment to raising awareness of compliance requirements and enhancing the competence of banking sector personnel, thereby contributing to the improvement of oversight procedures and adherence to standards related to combating money laundering and the financing of terrorism.

Central Bank of Iraq  Media Office   August 18, 2026    https://cbi.iq/news/view/3292

Iraq Revives Debate Over Removing Three Zeros From The Dinar

2026-08-18 12:21 Shafaq News- Baghdad   Debate has resurfaced in Iraq over a long-discussed plan to remove three zeros from the dinar, with lawmakers considering whether to include a “currency redenomination law” in a package of economic measures.

The proposal has remained under study for years as the government faces liquidity pressures and difficulties financing public spending and salaries.

Supporters argue that redenominating the currency could simplify transactions and streamline cash circulation. Economists interviewed by Shafaq News, however, caution against treating the measure as a solution to underlying financial problems that cannot be resolved by changing the currency’s denomination.

The debate intensified after Communications Minister Mustafa Sanad announced on Saturday that the government had decided to remove zeros or change the currency, linking the move to stolen public funds. He estimated the value of those funds at about 8 trillion dinars ($6.1B) and suggested that a new currency could render them unusable after the transition.

The Central Bank of Iraq began studying the proposal in 2007. In 2024, former Central Bank Governor Ali Al-Alaq confirmed that the project was “still in place,” although no implementation date was set.

Economic researcher Ahmed Eid considers the timing “economically inappropriate,” given Iraq’s financial pressures, liquidity shortages and rising government obligations. Speaking to Shafaq News, he argued that the priority should be addressing the causes of the financial crisis rather than changing the currency’s nominal value.

“Removing zeros does not provide new liquidity, finance salaries, or reduce the deficit and public debt,” Eid explained, adding that the measure would neither increase citizens’ purchasing power nor raise the dinar’s real value.

Under a three-zero redenomination, 1,000 old dinars would become one new dinar. Salaries, prices, savings, debts and contracts would all be converted at the same rate, leaving people’s real wealth unchanged.

Eid also warned that introducing the reform at a time when Iraq relies heavily on cash transactions, while financial literacy and market oversight remain limited, could create additional risks. Price increases, speculation and confusion over contracts, savings and other transactions could follow if the transition were poorly managed.

His objection, he stressed, was not to removing zeros as a monetary tool, but to linking the measure to the current financial crisis. Changing the numbers on banknotes, he maintained, would not address the economy’s underlying imbalances.

Economic journalist Salam Zidan views the primary function of redenomination as reducing the number of digits and simplifying calculations. Government budgets currently expressed in trillions of dinars, for instance, would be stated in billions under a three-zero change.

A salary of 1 million dinars ($763) would become 1,000 new dinars if three zeros were removed, while a one-zero reduction would turn it into 100,000 new dinars, Zidan explained.

The measure would not, however, resolve economic distortions. Zidan pointed out that people holding illicit funds could convert their money into gold, silver, real estate, or US dollars before a currency exchange, limiting the ability of changing banknotes alone to uncover illicit wealth.

Any redenomination would also require new banknotes, updated banking systems, ATMs, electronic payment platforms, government and corporate accounts, and a transition period during which the old and new currencies could circulate simultaneously. Authorities would need to clarify the new values of prices, contracts and salaries to the public.

Financial and banking specialist Mustafa Hantoush explained that current spending is being managed under the 1/12 rule, based on the previous year’s actual expenditure. Using 2025 figures, this permits spending of up to about 152 trillion dinars ($116 billion), although reaching that level would be difficult under current revenue conditions.

Hantoush told Shafaq News that the government is seeking to contain expenditure by restricting outlays to essential priorities while relying on borrowing through the Central Bank and discounting treasury bills to cover a deficit estimated at 6 trillion dinars ($4.6B) a month.

The pressure has been compounded by a sharp decline in oil revenues linked to disruptions following the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Iraq relies on oil for the majority of its budget revenues, leaving its public finances highly exposed to changes in oil exports and prices.

Against that backdrop, experts argue that spending reforms, revenue diversification and stronger productive and financial sectors would do more to support the dinar’s stability than changing its denomination.

Economic expert Karim Al-Hilu noted that the three zeros have come to be associated with periods of war and sanctions. The idea has been raised repeatedly over the years, including during Nouri Al-Maliki’s premiership, but has never been implemented.

Al-Hilu sees a new currency as potentially giving the dinar “new strength” while bringing some cash circulating outside the banking system back into circulation through formal channels.

At the same time, he acknowledged that a significant share of funds linked to people accused of theft may already be held in gold, dollars and real estate rather than Iraqi currency.

He cautioned that requiring citizens to prove the source of their funds when exchanging old banknotes could cause widespread disruption without clear procedures. An abrupt implementation, he warned, could bring parts of the market to a standstill.

Despite those risks, Al-Hilu believes the reform could eventually become necessary and, if properly implemented, could strengthen the dinar.

The discussion also coincides with proposals to bring cash held outside banks back into the financial system. One proposal estimated the total cash supply at about 113 trillion dinars ($86.3B), including roughly 106 trillion dinars ($80.9B) outside banks, and called for efforts to return about 10 trillion dinars ($7.6B) to the banking system.

In 2024 and 2025, experts warned that removing zeros would require months of preparation, tighter banking and security controls, monitoring at borders and airports, and scrutiny of the sources of funds, stressing the need for exchange-rate and political stability before undertaking the reform.

They also warned of the costs of printing new banknotes, counterfeiting, money laundering and social disruption. Calling for stronger productive sectors, they argued that the strength of a currency depends not on the number of zeros but on an economy capable of producing goods and services.

https://www.shafaq.com/en/Economy/Iraq-revives-debate-over-removing-three-zeros-from-the-dinar

Seeds of Wisdom RV and Economics Updates Wednesday Morning 8-19-26

Good Morning Dinar Recaps,

When Higher Yields No Longer Guarantee a Stronger Dollar: Global Finance Enters a New Risk Phase

U.S. Treasury yields remain near multi-decade highs while oil approaches $92 and the dollar weakens—creating a difficult new equation for central banks, governments and global investors.

 Overview

• The global bond selloff has stabilized, but long-term yields remain near multi-decade highs, reflecting concerns about government debt,persistent inflation and fiscal spending.

• Oil has climbed for a fourth consecutive day, with Brent crude reaching about $91.79 as uncertainty surrounding the Strait of Hormuz and the U.S.-Iran conflict keeps a geopolitical premium in energy prices.

• At the same time, the U.S. dollar is weakening even while Treasury yields remain elevated, challenging the traditional relationship between higher U.S. interest rates and dollar strength.

Key Developments

1. Treasury yields remain near a 20-year high

The U.S. 30-year Treasury yield stood around 5.28% Wednesday, after reaching approximately 5.34% on Tuesday, its highest level since 2007.

The concern extends beyond the United States. German, French and Japanese long-term yields have also moved toward multi-decade highs, demonstrating that pressure on sovereign debt markets is becoming a global phenomenon rather than an isolated U.S. development.

Long-term government bonds effectively serve as an anchor for borrowing costs throughout the financial system. When those yields rise, the impact can spread into mortgages, corporate borrowing, equities, real estate and other risk assets.

The underlying concern is increasingly straightforward: governments are issuing enormous amounts of debt at a time when investors are demanding greater compensation for inflation and fiscal risk.

2. Oil is adding another layer of inflation pressure

Brent crude reached approximately $91.79 per barrel Wednesday, its highest level in about three weeks, while WTI approached $86.

The increase comes as uncertainty surrounding the Strait of Hormuz continues.

That matters because the Strait has historically carried roughly one-fifth of global oil and LNG exports. Continued disruption or uncertainty therefore creates the possibility of a larger geopolitical risk premium in energy prices.

For central banks, higher oil prices create a difficult problem.

Energy inflation can rise even if economic growth is slowing.

That makes the traditional response to weak economic conditions—cutting interest rates—more complicated if policymakers are simultaneously concerned about inflation.

3. The dollar is weakening despite elevated Treasury yields

Perhaps the most interesting development for the global financial system is occurring in the currency market.

The dollar index fell approximately 0.29% to 99.36 Wednesday, while the euro, pound and yen all gained against the dollar.

This is important because higher U.S. Treasury yields have historically provided an incentive for international investors to hold dollar-denominated assets.

But today's market is showing that higher yields do not automatically produce a stronger dollar.

Investors are weighing several factors simultaneously, including U.S. fiscal conditions, inflation, Federal Reserve policy, geopolitical risk and the relative attractiveness of other currencies.

That creates a more complicated environment for the dollar than simply comparing U.S. interest rates with those overseas.

The Central Bank Dilemma

This is where today's developments connect the bond market, oil market and currency market.

Central banks are confronting three competing forces:

Inflation: Higher energy prices could keep price pressures elevated.

Growth: Recent U.S. economic indicators have shown signs of softness, reducing the case for continued tightening.

Debt: Governments face enormous borrowing requirements, making higher interest rates increasingly expensive to sustain.

The Federal Reserve's July meeting minutes are due today and are being watched closely for clues about the future direction of monetary policy. The July meeting left rates unchanged, and markets have been trying to determine whether recent softer economic data will eventually outweigh inflation concerns.

The problem is that there may no longer be an easy policy choice.

Cut rates too quickly and inflation could remain elevated.

Keep rates high and government borrowing costs continue rising.

Allow inflation to run hotter and bond investors may demand even higher yields.

That feedback loop is increasingly important to the global financial outlook.

Why It Matters

The significance of today's market isn't simply that the 30-year Treasury yield is above 5%.

It is that multiple parts of the financial system are beginning to reprice the same risks at the same time.

Higher government debt is putting pressure on bond markets.

Higher oil prices are increasing inflation risk.

Higher long-term yields are raising the cost of capital.

A weaker dollar changes international capital flows.

And central banks are being forced to balance inflation against economic growth while governments continue borrowing heavily.

Reuters describes the recent bond-market move as a response to concerns over swelling sovereign debt and persistent inflation, with long-term borrowing costs rising across major economies.

That is much bigger than a normal market fluctuation.

Why This Matters to Foreign Currency Holders

For foreign currency holders, the dollar's behavior deserves particular attention.

A weaker dollar does not mean the dollar is collapsing, nor does it automatically mean another currency will replace it.

But if the dollar continues to weaken while U.S. Treasury yields remain historically high, it could signal that international investors are increasingly separating their decisions about interest rates from their decisions about currency exposure.

That could create greater volatility among major currencies.

The Indian rupee is already feeling the pressure from higher oil prices. Reuters reported Wednesday that the rupee fell to a three-week low as crude approached $92, prompting the Reserve Bank of India to intervene through state-owned banks.

This illustrates how an energy shock can quickly become a currency and central-bank problem for oil-importing countries.

Implications for the Global Financial Reset

1. The financial system may be entering a broader repricing—not a single "reset" event.

The most important development may be the simultaneous repricing of sovereign debt, currencies, commodities and monetary policy.

That is a structural change worth watching.

2. The old relationships between markets are becoming less predictable.

For years, investors could generally expect higher U.S. yields to support the dollar.

Today, that relationship is being challenged.

At the same time, rising oil prices are occurring alongside weaker economic signals, creating a particularly difficult environment for central banks.

3. Sovereign debt is increasingly becoming part of the global risk equation.

The pressure isn't confined to Washington.

Germany, France and Japan are also experiencing elevated long-term borrowing costs. Japan's benchmark 10-year yield has moved toward 3%, a level not seen there in roughly three decades, highlighting how dramatically the global interest-rate environment has changed.

This could eventually influence how governments finance deficits, how central banks manage their balance sheets and how international investors allocate reserves.

What to Watch Next

The next major signals will come from:

1. The Federal Reserve's July meeting minutes and any indication of how officials view inflation versus economic weakness.

2. Brent crude and the Strait of Hormuz, particularly whether oil pushes decisively above $90–$100.

3. The 30-year Treasury yield, especially whether it remains above 5.25% or moves toward higher territory.

4. The U.S. dollar, because continued weakness alongside elevated Treasury yields would be particularly significant.

5. Foreign demand for U.S. debt, which will help determine how much higher yields need to rise to attract buyers.

Bottom Line

The most important story today isn't simply oil, bonds or the dollar.

It is the interaction between all three.

Higher oil threatens inflation. Higher inflation complicates rate cuts. Higher rates increase the cost of government debt. Higher debt increases pressure on bond markets. And a weaker dollar changes the equation for international investors and foreign central banks.

That creates a financial environment in which monetary policy, sovereign debt, energy security and currency markets are increasingly interconnected.

For the global financial system, the question is no longer simply when will interest rates fall?

The bigger question is whether governments and central banks can manage inflation, energy shocks and enormous debt loads without triggering another major repricing across bonds, currencies and global capital markets.

Sources

• Reuters — Bond selloff slows, oil climbs further

• Reuters — Dollar softens as bond market steadies ahead of Fed minutes

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 🌱 A Message to Our Currency Holders🌱

If you’ve been holding foreign currency for many years, you were not foolish.
You were not wrong to believe the global financial system would change.
What failed was not your patience — it was the information you were given.

For years, dates, rumors, and personalities replaced facts, structure, and proof. “This week” predictions created cycles of hope and disappointment that were never based on how currencies actually change.

That is not your failure.

Our mission here is different:  • No dates • No rates • No hype • No gurus

Instead, we focus on:
• Verifiable developments • Institutional evidence
• Global financial structure • Where countries actually sit in the process

Currency value changes only come after sovereignty, trade, banking, settlement systems, and fiscal coordination are in place. History and institutions confirm this sequence.

You will see silence. You will see denials. That is not delay — that is discipline.

Protect your identity. Organize your documents.    Verify everything.
Never hand your discernment to anyone who cannot show proof.

You deserve truth — not timelines.

Seeds of Wisdom Team
Newshounds News

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News, Rumors and Opinions Wednesday 8-19-2026

Stephanie Starr: Big Piece of Monetary Reform for Iraq

8-18-2026

Now watch the CBI.
Redenomination restructures the currency.
Revaluation changes its value.
The question is whether Iraq intends to do BOTH.

Redenomination: simplifies the currency, reduces oversized denominations and can pull massive amounts of hoarded cash back into the regulated banking system.

Revaluation: changes the actual external value/exchange rate of the currency.

And according to the reporting, one purpose of replacing the existing notes would be to force hoarded dinars into the banking system and potentially remove trillions of dinars that are never legitimately exchanged from circulation. An Iraqi economist discussing the proposal today described it as a mechanism that could isolate illicit cash and strengthen formal banking controls.

That is a BIG piece of monetary reform.

Think about the progression:

Banking reform
AML & compliance reform
International banking integration
Bringing hoarded currency into the banking system
Reducing excess physical currency
Redenomination / deleting the zeros
Exchange-rate adjustment / potential revaluation

The final piece is still the most important: the Central Bank of Iraq must officially announce the implementation details and exchange-rate policy.

Iraqi News: Iraq has finalized its decision to redenominate the Iraqi Dinar by removing three zeros from the national currency.

➡️ The move is meant to force hoarded cash back into formal banking channels while eliminating an estimated 8 trillion IQD, about $6.1 billion, in unexchanged currency tied to illicit gains, corruption, and lost funds.

 ➡️ Since old banknotes that are never exchanged will permanently exit circulation, the state won't need to issue equivalent replacement notes, effectively shrinking the overall money supply.

 ➡️ The announcement has drawn criticism from economic monitoring group Eco Iraq Observatory, which warned that announcing sensitive currency reforms through ad hoc interviews rather than official channels risks undermining market confidence and fueling speculation.

➡️ The group has called on the Central Bank of Iraq and Ministry of Finance to issue an official clarification on the plan's details and timeline.

https://www.iraqinews.com/iraq/sanad-dinar-redenomination-delete-zeros-eco-iraq-reaction-2026/

Source(s):
• https://x.com/StephanieStarrC/status/2089363588343329000

https://dinarchronicles.com/2026/08/17/stephanie-starr-big-piece-of-monetary-reform-for-iraq/

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Courtesy of Dinar Guru:  https://www.dinarguru.com/

Omar   They're talking on the television right now about removing the zeros from the Iraqi dinar.  They say it is a long awaited economic reform or a risk of inflation...The television is telling us removing the zeros is commonly referred to as a redenomination, would change the numerical denominations of Iraq's banknotes without necessarily changing the currency's real purchasing power...TV critical distinction is removing zeros would not automatically make the dinar more  valuable...It's going to make daily operations much easier.

Jeff Deleting the zeros is the very next banking reform step and being implemented in the second half of the year '26.  That's why they brought all those articles forward yesterday...It wasn't a coincidence.

Reset Intelligence   Iraq's PM advisor publicly stated the country sits on more than 16 trillion dinars in natural resources, 5th largest proven oil reserves, 2nd largest phosphate reserves on Earth.  The GDP is $265 billion.  That's a resource to GDP ratio of 60 to 1.  Saudi Arabia's ratio is 15 to 1.  Iraq carries 4x the resource gap of Saudi Arabia at a program rate set during reconstruction 22 years ago.  

******************

'Unstoppable' Market Crash To 'Break Everything' But GOLD - $10K Incoming: Edward Dowd

Commodity Culture:  8-18-2026

Edward Dowd continues to sound the alarm on the ballooning AI bubble, a major real estate crisis unfolding, and unprecedented government intervention in the stock market, and he's calling for a major collapse of the broad indices, in a move that will break everything but gold, which he sees soaring to $10,000 ahead.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmsBWTRXnJ4

FRANK26…8-18-26…LD’s NEXT

KTFA

Tuesday Night Video

FRANK26…8-18-26…LD’s NEXT

This video is in Frank’s and his team’s opinion only

Frank’s team is Walkingstick, Eddie and Omar in Iraq and guests

Playback Number: 605-313-5163   PIN: 156996#

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ca6V6MM_FQ

Seeds of Wisdom RV and Economics Updates Tuesday Evening 8-18-26

Good Evening Dinar Recaps,

BRICS Moves From Talk to Infrastructure: The Next Phase of Global Finance

India is pushing a practical step toward a more multipolar financial system as BRICS members explore linking local-currency payment networks and central-bank digital currencies.

Overview

• BRICS countries are discussing a digital bridge between their domestic payment systems, potentially making cross-border transactions faster and cheaper.

• The proposal comes as BRICS finance officials separately discuss reform of the international monetary and financial system, signaling that financial infrastructure is becoming a central part of the group's agenda.

• This is not a new BRICS currency or an immediate replacement for the U.S. dollar. The more important development is the gradual construction of alternative payment channels that could reduce dependence on traditional dollar-based infrastructure.

Key Developments

1. India puts local-currency payment connectivity at the center of the BRICS agenda

India's proposal to create a digital bridge connecting the domestic currency payment networks of BRICS members is emerging as one of the key issues ahead of the 2026 BRICS summit.

The proposal would build on existing national systems rather than requiring members to create a single BRICS currency. The objective is to make it easier for participating countries to conduct transactions using their own currencies and payment networks.

India's Reserve Bank Governor Sanjay Malhotra said BRICS members are discussing potential connections between their fast-payment systems and central-bank digital currencies (CBDCs). Several approaches remain under consideration, meaning the project is still at the discussion stage rather than being an operational system.

2. BRICS finance officials are discussing the financial architecture itself

The development is taking place alongside a broader BRICS financial agenda.

At the August 12–13 meeting of BRICS finance ministers and central-bank governors in Jaipur, participants discussed global economic growth, reform of the international monetary and financial system, infrastructure investment, the New Development Bank, customs and taxation, and financial cooperation.

That combination is significant.

BRICS is not simply discussing currency values. It is discussing the infrastructure through which money moves, the institutions that finance development and the rules governing international financial relationships.

3. The shift is from a "replacement currency" narrative to financial interoperability

For years, much of the attention surrounding BRICS has focused on whether the group might create a common currency to challenge the dollar.

The current developments point toward something considerably more practical.

Rather than attempting to replace the dollar with one new currency, BRICS members are exploring whether multiple national currencies and payment systems can operate more efficiently with one another.

That distinction matters.

A Brazilian company could potentially settle with an Indian company using interconnected payment infrastructure. An Indian business could conduct transactions involving another BRICS economy without requiring every payment to follow the same traditional pathway through the global financial system.

The potential change is therefore not necessarily "one currency replaces another." It is "more pathways become available."

Why It Matters

The global financial system has historically benefited from the enormous network effects surrounding the U.S. dollar and existing international payment infrastructure.

Creating a competing system from scratch would be extremely difficult.

But interconnecting systems that already exist is a different strategy.

India already operates UPI, China has its own extensive payment infrastructure, and other BRICS members have developed domestic instant-payment and digital-currency initiatives.

If those systems can eventually become interoperable, the financial landscape could become more multi-rail—with international transactions able to move through several interconnected channels rather than relying overwhelmingly on one dominant route.

Reuters reported that BRICS officials are considering both fast-payment-system connections and CBDC interoperability, with reducing the cost of cross-border payments among the objectives.

There are still substantial obstacles, including regulatory differences, currency convertibility, exchange-rate management, cybersecurity, settlement arrangements and the question of how participating central banks would coordinate.

So this is an infrastructure project in development, not a finished alternative financial system.

Why This Matters to Foreign Currency Holders

For foreign currency holders, the most important point is that international use of a currency can matter independently of whether that currency becomes a global reserve currency.

If BRICS countries make it easier to settle trade directly in their national currencies, those currencies could gradually acquire greater utility in cross-border commerce.

That does not guarantee appreciation.

Currency values will still depend on inflation, interest rates, economic growth, trade balances, capital flows and monetary policy.

But greater international settlement capability could eventually create additional sources of demand and utility for participating currencies.

This is why the infrastructure discussion deserves attention.

Implications for the Global Financial Reset

• The reset may be developing through infrastructure rather than a single announcement

A major restructuring of global finance would not necessarily begin with the launch of a new reserve currency.

It could develop through payment interoperability, local-currency settlement, digital currencies, new lending institutions and alternative financial networks.

That is the direction BRICS appears to be exploring.

• The dollar does not have to disappear for the system to become more multipolar

The U.S. dollar can remain the world's dominant reserve currency while its relative share of international transactions gradually faces more competition.

A multipolar system does not necessarily mean the end of dollar dominance. It can mean that more countries have viable alternatives for particular types of trade and financial settlement.

That is a much more realistic—and potentially more durable—form of financial diversification.

What to Watch Next

The critical question is whether the BRICS discussions move from policy proposals to technical implementation.

Watch for:

• A formal agreement to connect BRICS payment systems

• Specific plans for CBDC interoperability

• Expansion of local-currency trade settlement

• Greater use of the New Development Bank for financing in national currencies

• Concrete announcements from India's 2026 BRICS summit

The distinction between discussion and implementation will be crucial.

Right now, the evidence supports the conclusion that BRICS is building the framework for greater financial connectivity outside traditional channels—not that a new BRICS monetary system has already replaced the existing one.

Bottom Line

The most important BRICS development may not be the creation of a new currency at all.

It may be the construction of the financial infrastructure that allows more currencies to function internationally.

Payment networks, CBDCs, local-currency settlement and development financing are separate pieces of a much larger puzzle. If BRICS succeeds in connecting enough of those pieces, the global financial system could become less centralized around a single payment and settlement architecture.

The next phase of the global financial reset may not be about replacing the dollar—it may be about building enough alternative pathways that the world no longer has to rely on one financial road.

Sources

• Reuters — BRICS nations discuss linking payment systems and CBDCs

• China Ministry of Finance — BRICS Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting

~~~~~~~~~~

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Iraq Economic News and Points To Ponder Tuesday Evening 8-18-26

The Iraqi Dinar: Between Adjustment And Impact... Urgent Parliamentary Messages To The Prime Minister  

Baghdad Today - Baghdad    MP Saud Al-Saadi called on the government today (August 17, 2026) to clarify the legal and economic basis for the decision to remove zeros from the Iraqi dinar, according to an official document seen by Baghdad Today

In his parliamentary question, Al-Saadi stated that the government must provide the constitutional and legal basis for issuing such a decision, as well as clarify its economic feasibility and the potential effects on the national economy and citizens’ confidence in the local currency.

He also called for revealing whether the Cabinet had prepared a draft law on this matter, specifying the date for the implementation of the decision if it is approved, in addition to stating the reasons for not adopting other monetary and economic alternatives.

Al-Saadi stressed the need to answer these questions within the legal timeframe specified according to the internal regulations of the House of Representatives.

https://baghdadtoday.news/304841-.html

Republic of Iraq

Council of Representatives

Office of Representative

Saud Saadoun Al-Saadi

Killed Iraq

No, no

Secretary of the Parliament

Saud Saadoun Al-Saadi

Number: 2005  Date: 8/16/2026

To the Honorable Prime Minister

Parliamentary Question Regarding the Government's Decision to Remove Zeros from the Iraqi Dinar

Greetings...

Based on the oversight and representative role entrusted to us on behalf of the people according to the provisions of Articles (49) First and (61/Second) of the Constitution, and pursuant to the provisions of Articles (15) and (27) of the Law of the Council of Representatives and its Formations No. (13) of 2018, and pursuant to the provisions of Article (50) of the Internal Regulations of the Council of Representatives No. (1) of 2022

Please Answer The Following Parliamentary Questions:

The Minister of Communications previously appeared on a satellite channel and made a statement about the government issuing a decision to remove zeros from the Iraqi Dinar

1- What is the constitutional and legal basis for the government, represented by the Council of Ministers or the Prime Minister, to issue a decision regarding the removal of zeros from the Iraqi dinar?

- What is the economic feasibility of the decision to remove zeros from the national currency? What are the negative effects of this decision on the Iraqi economy and confidence in the national currency?

Has the Prime Minister or the Council of Ministers prepared a draft law to remove zeros from the Iraqi currency, especially since the Council of Ministers does not possess such authority according to the provisions of Article (80) of the Iraqi Constitution?

- To be continued - https://baghdadtoday.news/304841-.html

Economist: Removing Zeros Will Reduce Inflation And Withdraw Money From Corrupt Officials

Information/Baghdad...Economic researcher Haitham al-Khazali believes that removing zeros from the currency will reduce inflation in the financial markets and markets. He added that it will also draw cash held by citizens, merchants, and investors into banks, and compel corrupt individuals to surrender their illicit funds.

Al-Khazali told Al-Maalouma, “The government’s move to remove zeros from the currency would be a step in the right direction if it proceeds with such a transformation, as it would restore the Iraqi currency’s strength and reduce the inflation rate.”

He added, "Removing zeros opens the door to the reintroduction of smaller denominations, such as dirhams and fils, which were previously in circulation. Moreover, it will force those holding cash, including merchants and investors, to deposit it in banks."

He explained that "removing zeros will reveal the size of the cash held by citizens and will also recover funds acquired by corrupt individuals, ensuring their return to the state." End

 https://almaalomah-me.translate.goog/news/141510/economy/اقتصادي:-حذف-الاصفار-يضمن-تخفيض-التضخم-ويسحب-الكتلة-النقدية?_x_tr_sl=ar&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=sc

Former US Official: Nechirvan Barzani Trusted In Washington And Tehran

2026-08-18 Shafaq News- Washington     Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani is trusted in both Washington and Tehran, a distinction very few people can credibly claim, former US State Department official Thomas Warrick told Shafaq News on Tuesday.

  Previous mediation efforts have failed to break the impasse, Warrick said. “Washington values President Barzani’s honesty and his understanding of the actors on the Iranian side,” he said, adding that “Tehran may well feel the same about his understanding of Washington.”

  Asked whether the Kurdistan Regional Government’s mediation efforts could succeed where earlier efforts by Qatar and Pakistan had stalled, Warrick said, “A fresh perspective is always useful, and President Barzani certainly brings one.”

However, the differences between Washington and Tehran are too deep to be bridged by any one person. “I am not optimistic that the conflict will end before the US election on November 3.”

  Earlier, Axios reported that Barzani helped establish a secret channel between the US administration and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

Citing three sources with direct knowledge of the contacts, Axios reported that the White House turned to Barzani because of his longstanding ties with both Washington and Tehran and his contacts with senior Iranian officials.

  For Shafaq News, Mostafa Hashem, Washington, D.C.

    https://www.shafaq.com/en/Kurdistan/Former-US-official-Nechirvan-Barzani-trusted-in-Washington-and-Tehran

Reset Intelligence: Iraq to Remove the Three Zeros from the IQD

Reset Intelligence: Iraq to Remove the Three Zeros from the IQD

8-17-2026

Iraq to Remove the Three Zeros from the IQD

By Reset Intelligence | @EXIT_FIAT

On Saturday night, Iraq’s Minister of Communications, Mustafa Sanad, went on the iNews channel and told the country the decision has been issued: the currency is changing and the three zeros are coming off the dinar.

After 23 years of studies, proposals and denials, a sitting minister of the current government said it as a done thing. Not a study. Not a proposal. Issued.

Why this minister matters

Sanad is not a random mouth. He spent 5 years on parliament’s Finance Committee, the room that writes the budgets an exchange rate lives inside. And his current ministry runs Iraq’s electronic payment rails, the wires any modern note exchange has to cross.

In June his system covert 116 billion dinars heading for Dubai and froze the transfer before it cleared. When the man who runs the rails says the decision is issued, that is worth your attention.

What else moved this weekend

• The 2027 budget – first reading of the grants and borrowing law comes to parliament next week, and a Finance Committee member said on state media that this budget will determine the exchange rate.

• The Supreme Court – Iraqi press reports the Prime Minister has asked the Federal Supreme Court to define the Council of Ministers’ powers on currency reform. Governments do not ask courts to define powers they never intend to use.

• The corruption sweep – investigators pulled $20 million in cash, 60 kilograms of gold and seven vehicles out of one arrested official’s holdings on Saturday.

• The region – the Gaza track keeps compounding, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan signed a mutual-defense pact with Trump’s public endorsement, and Treasury has promised economic isolation measures against Iran without precedent, due this week.

The Central Bank has not made the formal announcement, and that is the piece to wait for. But the paperwork that must carry a new rate is moving toward parliament, the enforcement side is live, and the man who owns the rails says his part of the machine is built.

Our full briefing walks through what a note exchange actually does, why these operations are always denied right up until the morning they happen, and what Germany in 1948 and Iraq’s own 2003 exchange teach about this exact moment.

History rarely announces itself twice.

Read the full daily briefing free for 5 days. Sign up here: resetintelligence.com

Want it straight from the horse’s mouth? The CBI Rate Alert pings you the moment the Central Bank of Iraq moves the official rate. The number itself, not a rumour about it. It comes with our free resource library and the daily breakdown of what is actually moving in Iraq. Sign up free: resetintelligence.com/rate-alert

For the full 118-year design underneath this story: Head of the Snake. The reference library of guides and scenario reports is at resetintelligence.com/resources.

Follow the daily intel free: Telegram · Facebook · Spotify · Odysee

https://dinarchronicles.com/2026/08/17/reset-intelligence-iraq-to-remove-the-three-zeros-from-the-iqd/

MilitiaMan & Crew: Crucial Zeros Pressure Update: Don't Miss This

MilitiaMan & Crew: Crucial Zeros Pressure Update: Don't Miss This

8-18-2026

The Crew:  Samson, PompeyPeter, Petra, Daytrader, Sunkissed, GIGI and Militia Man

No drama. No intrigue. No songs and dances. Just straight, factual news that I read and interpret to the best of my ability after being an avid Dinar investor and insanely obsessed Dinarian for over 15 years.

Follow MM on X == https://x.com/Slashn

Be sure to listen to full video for all the news……..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaRdU41ca8Y

Iraq Economic News and Points To Ponder Tuesday Afternoon 8-18-26

Exclusive: SOMO Seeks Safe Hormuz Passage For Iraqi Oil Exports

2026-08-17   Shafaq News- Baghdad   Iraq’s State Organization for Marketing of Oil (SOMO) is negotiating with US and German shipping companies to secure passage for crude exports through the Strait of Hormuz using Iraqi-flagged tankers, a government source told Shafaq News on Monday.

The source said the US company rejected Baghdad’s requirement to fly the Iraqi flag on its tankers, leaving the two sides without an agreement. The German company, however, agreed to the flag requirement while transporting crude from Iraqi ports.

“Understandings with Iran would allow Iraqi oil shipments to pass through the strait without transit fees.”

Baghdad must also secure US authorization to complete the transit arrangements. The source expected Iraq to obtain approval soon, amid US sanctions targeting entities linked to Iranian shipping and insurance mechanisms in Hormuz.

Read more: SCOOP: Iraq in talks with US-Iran over Hormuz oil shipments

Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi’s deadline for the Oil Ministry to resolve the crude export crisis could be extended for another week, according to the source. Shipping companies are seeking higher freight rates and additional insurance guarantees to account for the risks associated with passage through the waterway.

https://www.shafaq.com/en/Economy/Exclusive-SOMO-seeks-safe-Hormuz-passage-for-Iraqi-oil-exports

Gold Retreats As Oil Climbs

2026-08-18 Shafaq News   Gold prices came under pressure on Tuesday from higher ‌Treasury yields and a spike in oil prices, while traders awaited minutes of the U.S. Federal Reserve's July policy meeting for clues on the outlook for interest rates.

Spot gold was down ​0.5% at $4,391.14 per ounce, as of 0423 GMT, while U.S. gold futures ​for December delivery dropped 0.6% to $4,446.70.

Yields on the benchmark 10-year U.S. ⁠Treasury note extended gains, raising the opportunity cost of holding non-yielding bullion.

Oil prices ​also edged higher after Iran said it would shift to a "fully offensive" military posture ​following a breakdown in efforts to negotiate a permanent end to the war with the United States, while Washington ruled out extending a temporary ceasefire agreement.

Oil prices will remain one of ​the key factors keeping gold under pressure as situation in the Middle East ​continues to look uncertain, ANZ analyst Soni Kumari said.

Traders' expectations around Fed policy rates are going ‌to ⁠be important for gold, with a focus on technical levels, Kumari added.

Elevated energy prices tend to raise inflationary fears and bolster expectations of higher interest rates by the Fed. While gold is typically seen as a hedge against inflation, higher interest ​rates tend to diminish ​bullion's appeal.

However, market ⁠pricing for a September quarter-point hike flipped to a nearly 65% chance of a "hold" after unexpected job losses in July, ​lower-than-expected consumer price inflation and weaker retail sales.

Investors are also ​awaiting minutes ⁠from the Fed's most recent policy meeting, with the release scheduled for Wednesday.

Spot gold may test a support at $4,381, a break below could open the way toward the $4,320 ⁠to $4,351 range, ​according to Reuters technical analyst Wang Tao.

Among other metals, ​spot silver slipped 1% to $65.11 per ounce, platinum lost 1.2% to $1,748.56, while palladium fell 1.2% to $1,317.01.  (REUTERS) https://www.shafaq.com/en/Economy/Gold-retreats-as-oil-climbs

Basrah Crude Gains On US-Iran Supply Concerns

2026-08-18 Shafaq News- Basrah   Iraq’s Basrah Heavy and Basrah Medium crude prices rose on Tuesday, tracking gains in global oil markets as concerns over Middle East supply intensified amid fading prospects for an agreement to end the US-Iran war.

Basrah Heavy gained $0.39, or 0.64%, to $61.77 per barrel, while Basrah Medium rose $0.39, or 0.60%, to $65.07.

Globally, Brent crude futures climbed 62 cents, or 0.7%, to $91.49 a barrel, after rising on Monday to their highest since July 30. US West Texas Intermediate crude futures were up 75 cents at $85.25 a barrel, after earlier rising more than 1% to $85.37, their highest since July 31.

https://www.shafaq.com/en/Economy/Basrah-crude-gains-on-US-Iran-supply-concerns

USD/IQD Exchange Rates Dip In Baghdad, Climb In Erbil

2026-08-18 Shafaq News- Baghdad/ Erbil   The US dollar hovered around 154,000 Iraqi dinars per $100 in Baghdad and Erbil on Tuesday morning, edging lower in the capital while rising in the Kurdistan Region.

In Baghdad, the dollar fell to 153,850 dinars per $100 at the Al-Kifah and Al-Harithiya central exchanges, according to Shafaq News market survey, down from 154,000 on Monday.

Exchange shops in the capital sold the dollar at 154,250 dinars and bought it at 153,250 per $100.

In Erbil, the dollar rose, with exchange shops selling at 154,250 dinars per $100 and buying at 154,150 dinars per $100.

https://www.shafaq.com/en/Economy/USD-IQD-exchange-rates-dip-in-Baghdad-climb-in-Erbil-9

2026 Hormuz Closure Tops Historic Oil Supply Disruptions

2026-08-18 Shafaq News- Vancouver    The closure of the Strait of Hormuz in March 2026 triggered the largest oil supply shock on record, cutting global supplies by about 10.1 million barrels per day (bpd) and far surpassing disruptions from major wars and oil crises over the past five decades, according to a ranking published by Visual Capitalist.

The Hormuz disruption was about 80% larger than the estimated 5.6 million-bpd supply loss during the Iranian Revolution between November 1978 and April 1979, which ranked second.

The Arab oil embargo and Iraq’s 1990 invasion of Kuwait ranked third and fourth, respectively, with each disruption reducing global oil supplies by about 4.3 million bpd.

Iran-Iraq war followed in fifth place, with losses of 4.1 million bpd between October 1980 and January 1981.

The 2003 Iraq war ranked sixth, reducing supplies by about 2.3 million bpd between March and December. Libya’s civil war in 2011 came seventh, with a loss of roughly 1.5 million bpd.

Hormuz, through which roughly 20% of the world’s oil passes, has remained largely closed under Iranian restrictions since Feb. 28, following the start of the US-Israeli war and disrupting regional energy flows.

The corridor briefly reopened after a US-Iran memorandum of understanding (MoU) took effect on June 18, but closed again amid renewed military escalation, with Tehran maintaining that the waterway remains under Iranian control.

Read more: Cargo transit through Hormuz plunges near total halt

https://www.shafaq.com/en/Economy/2026-Hormuz-closure-tops-historic-oil-supply-disruptions

How Medicare Became a Slush Fund

 How Medicare Became a Slush Fund

Notes From the Field By James Hickman (Simon Black / Sovereign Man)  August 18, 2026

Four years ago this month, Washington passed a law and named it, with a straight face, the Inflation Reduction Act.  Bizarrely, their plan to ‘reduce inflation’, which had been caused by excessive government spending, was for the government to spend even more money. It’s genius!

Among its various provisions, part of the legislation authorized the government to negotiate prescription drug prices. Seems like a nice idea in principle... but in practice it’s been a disaster.

The Congressional Budget Office released the results late last month: the Medicare drug provisions that were supposed to generate $129 billion in savings will now add $700 billion to the deficit.

Sometimes it seems like this is the whole idea; given the rampant Medicare fraud that gets uncovered on a daily basis, it’s clear that politicians have an incentive to steer MORE money into the program.

Healthcare is the easiest spending in Washington to justify. Every dollar comes with the same argument: if we don't spend on healthcare, people will die!

It ends up being so much money— a giant, dark pool of corruption— and a lot of it gets funneled straight back into the political process as campaign contributions. And it’s been going on for ages.

Back in 2002, for example, America’s biggest health-care workers union spent about $800,000 electing Rod Blagojevich governor of Illinois. He later thanked them "for electing me governor."

Weeks after he took office, Blagojevich signed multiple executive orders that fattened the union’s pockets, like forcing more healthcare workers to join... and automatically deducting union dues from their paychecks. Bad for the unionized workers, but great for the union bosses.

In New York, the Greater New York Hospital Association wrote two checks totaling more than $1 million to the state Democratic Party in August 2018, at then-Governor Andrew Cuomo's campaign's request.

Three months later the state ordered its first across-the-board Medicaid rate increase since 2008, worth about $140 million a year. Great news for the hospital association.

The cycle never ends— the unions and associations scratch the politicians’ backs, and in turn get their backs scratched. No one can rationally expect those parties to walk away from their mutual benefit.

And this is just the ‘honest’ graft and corruption... it doesn’t take into account the outright fraud.

During COVID, Medicare paid for eight test kits per month, per person, in America. Yet an inspector general later found it paid up to $454 million for nearly 39 million kits over that limit.

In June, the Justice Department found over $6.5 billion in fake health-care claims. Yet agents recovered only $182 million in cash and assets, less than three cents per dollar of fraud.

In one instance, a pair of adult day care operators fraudulently billed Medicare and Medicaid $120 million over a decade. One of their centers claimed 1,041 attendees in a single day while the building's occupancy limit was 81.

Then Nick Shirley walked into the neighborhood's facilities with a camera this summer and turned up $190 million more in suspicious billing.

And yet very little of the fraud gets stopped... in large part because a portion of what they steal from the government is funneled back to the politicians (mostly on the Left) who vote for more Medicare spending.

These same politicians install activist judges at the state and federal level, ensuring that anyone who tries to stop the fraud will be sued... and blocked by the courts.

As an example, last year Congress voted to cut off Planned Parenthood from Medicaid for one year.

Planned Parenthood sued. Judge Indira Talwani, an Obama appointee in Boston, dutifully blocked the cut within weeks, and the appeals court had to overrule her twice before the law could take effect.

Feeding Our Future, the Minnesota child-meal Somali fraud network, had the audacity to sue the state for racial discrimination when the fraudulent money train slowed down.

It’s extraordinary; there are so many checks-and-balances in place to keep the graft  going.

The politicians vote to keep the money moving. The judges defend it to the last Somali. And the activists and the media scream that anyone asking questions is racist; Governor Tim Walz called the fraud talk "vile, racist lies."

The teachers' unions march the kids out of school for union causes and No Kings rallies, as if the kids had any idea what they were marching for. And the universities continue the socialist indoctrination.

Media, education, courts: the whole institutional layer exists to keep the money flowing.

So of course they want more of it.

Senator Bernie Sanders reintroduced Medicare for All last year, and the movement that just made Zohran Mamdani mayor of New York wants to make this slush fund the entire health-care system.

Even the most conservative estimate puts the price at $32.6 trillion over the first decade; that’s an astonishing amount of potential fraud.

The US could get its fiscal house in order if it shut this slush fund down. But the graft is deeply entrenched... so it’s likely that US deficit spending will continue in order to pay for it all.

Foreign governments have reached the same conclusion: The US has to go deeper into debt in order to finance hundreds of billions of dollars in fraud.

That's a major reason why foreign governments and central banks are diversifying away from the dollar. And with no obvious global currency to park their financial reserves into, they buy gold.

We have been making this argument for the past few years, since gold was below $1800. This sort of news makes the case even more strongly: the story hasn’t changed... and gold remains a great hedge for the fiscal uncertainty to come.

To your freedom,   James Hickman    Co-Founder, Schiff Sovereign LLC

PS: In this month’s Schiff Sovereign Premium, we made the case for a gold producer built for exactly this outlook: a debt-free, dividend-paying, highly successful gold company which just had the most profitable first-half in its company history. But it only trades at 2x cash flow.

If the fraud and deficits continue, gold should do very well... and successful producers can do even better.

https://www.schiffsovereign.com/trends/how-medicare-became-a-slush-fund-155635/?inf_contact_key=45b23aa345ce3789b19a50db4e04df60121216c3a82d754a88f6751e8a28a7b5

Bolivar and Zim Thoughts from Ariel 8-18-2026

Ariel: The Parallel Emerging Market, the Venezuela Bolívar

8-18-2026

The Venezuela Bolívar: The Parallel Emerging Market (Why You Should Stack)

Venezuelan Bolívar Soberano (VES) — Imminent FX Integration Post-Iraq RV; Bilateral Normalization Trajectory

Why Venezuela & Why Now?

Most people looking at currency resets have tunnel vision on Iraq. Iraq is the door. Venezuela is the room right behind it. Here’s what nobody is connecting.

When a nation emerges from political upheaval with new leadership that the international community recognizes, the pattern is consistent the new government honors the domestic currency rather than wiping it out.

This happened with Kuwait in 1991 after Saddam was pushed out. The Kuwaiti dinar crashed to near-zero during occupation, then the restored government honored every note. People who held physical Kuwaiti dinar during the occupation made generational wealth.

Same playbook ran in Iraq itself in 2003 the Bremer transition replaced the Saddam dinar but honored the Swiss dinar notes at a revalued rate.

Germany 1948, the currency reform that birthed the Deutsche Mark old Reichsmark notes were converted, not nullified. Political settlements override legal extinguishment every time the monetary system undergoes regime change.

The Chain Nobody Is Connecting

Here’s what gives this thesis weight beyond just “new government, new currency.”

The Petrodollar Unraveling Creates the Vacuum. Saudi Arabia’s extension of multi-currency oil contracts and the BRICS+ settlement infrastructure going live means the U.S. needs Western Hemisphere energy producers locked into dollar frameworks more than ever.

Venezuela sits on the largest proven oil reserves on the planet 303 billion barrels. The U.S. cannot afford those barrels flowing east through yuan-settled channels. Normalizing Venezuela is strategic energy security, and currency revaluation is the financial mechanism that locks Caracas into the Western system.

Iraq Goes First Venezuela Follows. The Iraqi dinar revaluation has been positioned as the first domino in what currency researchers call the Global Currency Reset sequence. Once Iraq deletes three zeros and re-enters FX markets at a restored rate, the template is set.

International bodies, sovereign wealth funds, and institutional liquidity providers will have the legal infrastructure to process revalued currencies from formerly sanctioned nations. Venezuela’s bolívar revaluation would ride the same rails same legal framework, same FX integration process, same precedent of political settlement overriding prior demonetization arguments.

Read Full Article:
https://www.patreon.com/Prolotario1/posts/venezuela-market-166957678

https://dinarchronicles.com/2026/08/18/prolotario-the-parallel-emerging-market-the-venezuela-bolivar/

************

Ariel: Everything Written Publicly about the ZIM is Wrong

8-18-2026

Something That Nobody Has Told You All:

Everything written publicly about ZIM is wrong by design. The 2008-2009 series AA and AB notes were never “worthless.”

Zimbabwe’s agricultural and mineral reserve backing specifically the platinum group metals and the Chiadzwa diamond fields were seized as collateral security by a consortium operating through the London Bullion Market Association under a 2009 stabilization agreement.

The notes weren’t demonetized. They were sequestered pulled from circulation and held in reserve against a future settlement window.

The exchange is NOT a flat currency-to-currency conversion. It operates on a bond-backed derivative structure where each note’s face value is multiplied against a mineral reserve ratio and then converted through a sovereign bond mechanism.

The reason every financial “expert” on television and every SEC-adjacent publication calls ZIM a “scam” is because the payout numbers, if they become reality, would represent the largest single transfer of wealth to private individuals in recorded history.

That transfer was designed intentionally not as charity, but as a liquidity mechanism. The sovereign bond structure requires millions of small holders to receive and SPEND large sums into the real economy to absorb the transition from fiat to asset-backed currency. The holders ARE the stimulus.

~ Just Thought I Throw That Out There

Source(s):
• https://x.com/Prolotario1/status/2089477041854849116

https://dinarchronicles.com/2026/08/18/prolotario-everything-written-publicly-about-the-zim-is-wrong/

News, Rumors and Opinions Tuesday 8-18-2026

Rob Cunningham: All in or No Level Playing Field

8-17-2026

ALL IN or NO Level Playing Field

Q: Could a globally interoperable DLT (distributed ledger technology)  monetary system meeting ISO20022 and GENUIS ACT standards function as designed with fiat issued currencies lacking verifiable, sound, 1:1 collateral and be fair to all parties involved?

A: No.

A globally interoperable DLT monetary system cannot be fair to all parties if fiat lacking verified collateral is exchanged through atomic settlement.

Atomic settlement can guarantee that both sides exchange simultaneously. It cannot guarantee that the assets exchanged are honestly represented, equivalently sound, or fairly valued.

Unverified collateral breaks the fairness condition.

For the system to be fair, the value backing each monetary instrument must be transparent and verifiable so every participant knows what they are receiving and can freely price and accept – or reject – the exchange.

Atomic settlement guarantees execution.
Verified collateral enables truthful valuation.
Both are required for a fair monetary system.

Source(s):
• https://x.com/KuwlShow/status/2089151868446421317

https://dinarchronicles.com/2026/08/17/rob-cunningham-all-in-or-no-level-playing-field/

************

Courtesy of Dinar Guru:  https://www.dinarguru.com/

Militia Man   They're talking about strengthening  the position of the Iraqi dinar.  If you're going to remove zeros, you're not strengthening anything - it's a redenomination.  It's like a reverse split in stock.  But when you add a Real Effective Exchange Rate to it, now we're talking about strengthening the position of the Iraqi dinar.

Reset Intelligence   Saturday night in Baghdad, Iraq's Minister of Communications, Mustafa Sanad, went on the iNews channel and told the country that the decision has been issued. The currency is changing, and the zeros are coming off...Iraqi ministers do not freelance monetary policy on live television and keep their jobs.  A statement like that only survives if the thing behind it is real, and nobody in Baghdad has walked it back. The economists on Iraqi airwaves spent Sunday arguing about how and when to do it, not about whether it exists. The formal announcement, when it comes, belongs to the Central Bank, and that is the piece we wait for...

Omar The decision has been made. The currency will change and the zeros removed...The new currency began arriving in Baghdad 10 days ago after it had been contracted for printing long ago.  The surprise isn't in the removal of the zeros, but in the speed, suddenness and mechanism of the switch so that no time is left to convert trillions of hoarded dinar into real estate, gold or smuggling them out of our banking system...When they come to our banks we are trained to ask them where did you get this 3 zero notes from?  And to prove to us the source of those 3-zero notes, then we will turn them into colored papers.

*************

Washington Quietly Puts Gold Back on Table , its Secret Plan

Daniela Cambone:  8-17-2026

“Gold is back in the conversation in ways it hasn’t been for decades.” With Washington openly talking about gold again, could a gold-backed currency be on the table?

Graham Summers breaks down the signals, and what they could mean for your money.

Chapters:

00:00 Wall Street becomes wary of gold

04:32 Link currency with gold?

06:29 Why hesitate to say gold is critical mineral

08:03 Can we catch up to China?

11:34 Why AI is critical

13:57 Thoughts on gold / silver movement

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zd3CMexY3Uo

THE MEASURE : Rob Cunningham

THE MEASURE : Rob Cunningham

8-18-2026

What if the biggest breakthrough of 2026 isn’t AI, quantum computing, blockchain or digital currency? What if those are just tools?

What if the breakthrough is an idea humanity understood thousands of years ago:

HONEST MEASURES.

What does a waitress earning $200 in tips have in common with a Wall Street executive moving $20 million? We all need the same thing: A measure of value we can trust.

Imagine combining that ancient principle with AI, quantum computing, digital assets and transparent global ledgers.

What happens when true value move as easily as information?

When technology removes friction instead of adding fees?

When machines handle complexity while humans retain agency?

When billions of people can create, exchange and collaborate far more freely?

And humanity discovers our greatest untapped resource isn’t gold, oil, money or even AI? What if it’s 7+ billion human imaginations? Builders. Dreamers. Inventors. Artists. Parents. Farmers. Entrepreneurs. Problem-solvers.

What happens when our financial technology becomes better at unleashing their creativity instead of constraining it? Maybe the future of money… isn’t really about money.

Maybe it’s about creating better ways to measure and exchange human value.

The principle is ancient.

The technology is extraordinary.

The possibilities are breathtaking.

I made THE MEASURE for the waitress and the Wall Street CEO and everyone between them. Watch with one question in mind:

What becomes possible when the measure finally tells the truth?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgKZjnQ78Ls