"WebSummit debate: Why the US dollar system is fragile and changing"

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“We should never have had a national currency for international trade” Mind blowing debate at WebSummit LLC from Kathleen Tyson Dr. Steve Keen and Radhika Desai. They unpacked why the US dollar system is showing cracks and what de-dollarization actually looks like in practice. Some takeaways: 👉The dollar system is fragile. Inflation, interest rates, and financial speculation create contradictions that could trigger a crash. 👉 Countries are already moving away from the dollar. China, Russia, and others are trading more in local currencies, reshaping global trade. 👉 Multilateral principles matter. Drawing on Keynes’ ideas, the panel emphasized balancing trade, giving countries more policy freedom, and reducing systemic imbalances. 👉 Big shifts can change the world. Moves like China’s rare earth export controls could redirect money from war to education, healthcare, and housing. Currency and global trade aren’t abstract - they affect supply chains, investments, and the future of tech and business everywhere. #GlobalFinance #USDollar #DeDollarization #TechIndustry #fintech #websummit

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On the other hand, Stablecoins are largely a form of dollarisation and investors are backing start ups such as ZAR whose stated goal is to provide "dollars" to the global south. The narrative that the dollar is collapsing seems to be in direct conflict to the stablecoin hype, and the fact that millions (billions?) of people around the world actually want dollars. The question is whether national governments will accept a gradual de facto dollarisation of their economies? https://www.linkedin.com/company/zardotapp/ https://www.bitget.com/news/detail/12560605035746

Sounds reasonable but there's often an element of national pride tied up in currencies. I doubt whether many Brits would give up the pound very readily.

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Thanks! It was a great panel and a pleasure to be at WebSummit 2025.

Wish I'd seen this one!

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