Christian Briggs episode tracks the global push for CBDCs and payment alternatives

A new episode of On the Record with Christian Briggs argues that CBDCs, BRICS expansion and strategic infrastructure are reshaping global finance as governments seek alternatives to dollar-centric rails. The discussion also points to rising concerns over programmable money, digital identity and the future mix of payment systems. Why it matters: - The episode frames CBDCs and related payment networks as a bid by countries to reduce reliance on the U.S.-dollar system. - The shift could change how cross-border trade settles, how money moves and how much visibility governments have into transactions. - The discussion ties digital finance to industrial power, commodity supply chains and control of critical infrastructure. What happened: - On the Record with Christian Briggs released an episode on June 17, 2026, in San Juan, Puerto Rico, focused on CBDCs, BRICS expansion and financial realignment. - Christian Briggs says the freezing of Russian foreign reserves in 2022 pushed governments to build backup financial channels. - The episode highlights Project mBridge as a key cross-border finance initiative. - mBridge began with the People’s Bank of China, Hong Kong Monetary Authority, Bank of Thailand and Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates, and later added Saudi Arabia. The details: - mBridge is described as a multi-CBDC wholesale platform for instant local-currency settlement across borders. - The episode says BRICS expansion has pulled in major energy producers and commodity exporters, giving the bloc more economic scale. - Roughly 137 countries and currency unions are researching, piloting or deploying digital currencies, the episode says. - The European Central Bank is advancing digital euro work to protect payment sovereignty and reduce dependence on foreign digital infrastructure. - The episode says programmable money could improve disaster relief and reduce fraud. - The same technology could also allow transaction monitoring, purchase restrictions and broader data aggregation. - India’s Aadhaar system and Europe’s eIDAS 2.0 are presented as identity layers for future financial systems. - Briggs says political resistance to a U.S. retail CBDC has helped make the United States a major test case for privately issued stablecoins and tokenized deposits. Between the lines: - The episode argues that financial power is shifting from currency alone to the physical systems underneath it. - China’s expansion through mBridge and CIPS is linked to its industrial base and rare earth refining dominance in the commentary. - The analysis suggests BRICS, CBDCs, stablecoins and tokenized deposits may coexist in a more fragmented but interoperable global system by 2030. - That outlook implies the next competition is less about one dominant currency and more about who controls the rails, standards and settlement infrastructure. What’s next: - The episode says more countries will keep building alternative payment systems and digital currency pilots. - The discussion points to continued growth in CBDC experimentation, digital identity frameworks and private digital money products. - Briggs expects global finance to keep moving toward a mixed system of CBDCs, stablecoins, tokenized deposits and traditional networks. - The full episode is available here and on Spotify .