BRICS Launches New Payment System in 185 Countries
BRICS Launches New Payment System in 185 Countries
Cyrus Janssen: 11-17-2025
If you blinked, you might have missed it. While Western headlines were dominated by the usual political theater and market fluctuations, a seismic shift in the global financial architecture quietly took place in 2025.
The BRICS alliance, in a move that analysts will likely point to as a historic turning point, launched a new payment system with a staggering reach: 185 countries.
The goal? To facilitate international trade using the Chinese renminbi (RMB), effectively bypassing the US dollar.
This isn’t just a minor policy adjustment; it’s a direct challenge to the decades-long dominance of the US dollar as the world’s primary reserve currency.
And while it was largely underreported in Western media, its echoes are being felt profoundly across the globe, particularly in the emerging economies of the Global South.
From the bustling ports of Southeast Asia to the resource-rich nations of Africa and Latin America, a quiet financial revolution is underway. Countries are increasingly looking to China’s currency and its financial infrastructure as a viable alternative to the dollar-dominated system.
This trend signifies a profound loss of confidence in the Western-led financial order and a pragmatic pivot towards China’s economic sphere of influence.
China’s financial influence is no longer confined to emerging markets. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) recently upgraded its free trade agreement with China, strengthening economic bonds despite concerted efforts from the US to project power in the region.
The trust in the RMB is also being validated in capital markets. When Indonesia issued “dim sum bonds” (RMB-denominated bonds sold offshore), they were met with overwhelming investor demand—a clear signal of market confidence.
Underpinning all of this is the technological backbone: China’s Cross-Border Interbank Payment System (CIPS).
This system has grown exponentially, now weaving a vast financial web that connects thousands of banks across those 185 countries, processing trillions of RMB every single quarter.
The symbolism of recent events is impossible to ignore. The BRICS group recently facilitated its first-ever RMB-based loan between China and South Africa, explicitly targeting development projects across Africa. This move solidifies China’s role as the financial anchor and preferred partner for the Global South.
Even advanced economies are taking note. South Korea, a key US ally, is actively deepening its currency swap agreements with China to make trade smoother and less dependent on the dollar.
Analysts now predict a near-inevitable conclusion: the Chinese renminbi is on a fast track to become the second most used currency in global trade finance. The world isn’t de-dollarizing overnight, but it is undoubtedly, and rapidly, multi-polarizing.
This monumental geopolitical shift has direct consequences for investors. As nations realign their trade and financial alliances, the focus turns to securing the critical resources that power modern economies.
In the latter part of his detailed analysis, investor Cyrus Janssen highlights a key sector poised to benefit from this new paradigm: copper. As countries everywhere seek to onshore supply chains and secure access to critical minerals essential for energy transition and technology, copper becomes as strategically important as oil once was.
This focus on resource security spotlights companies like Vizsla Copper, which is focused on exploring and developing high-grade copper assets in safe, mining-friendly jurisdictions like Alaska. With a significant resource, strong infrastructure, government backing, and an experienced leadership team, companies that can provide North American copper are becoming increasingly valuable strategic assets.
In a world reorganizing itself around new financial and energy realities, understanding these geopolitical currents is no longer optional for the savvy investor—it’s essential.