Protocols & Policy · Policy
Netanyahu says blockchain is one option if banks face sanctions
Israel's prime minister says he has asked for a plan, but none has been published and no digital currency was named.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says digital currencies and blockchain technology are one way Israel could keep its economy running if other countries impose banking sanctions, and that he has asked for a plan [1]. A blockchain is a shared digital record that lets people transfer value without going through a bank.
Netanyahu made the remarks in an interview with Roy Katz on Israel's Economy Channel on Friday, Oct. 23, according to Ynetnews, the English-language site of Israeli outlet Ynet [1]. "You have to understand that there could be sanctions, including banking sanctions. You need to prepare an economy that can get around them," he said, in Ynet's translation. "And you know what that is. You know about digital currencies, and I'm working on that too. And there are other things" [1].
Asked whether he meant blockchain, Netanyahu replied: "Yes, that's one of the ways. And I've already asked for a plan to be prepared" [1].
He did not say who is drafting the plan, when it is due or which digital currencies or blockchain systems it might involve. No plan has been published. Netanyahu presented blockchain as one option among others, not as a decision.
The interview came days before Israel's Oct. 27 election, Ynet noted [1]. In the same interview, Netanyahu warned that Israel should not expect US military aid to continue indefinitely [1].
Ynet tied the remarks to a growing list of economic, financial and diplomatic measures that some countries have taken or are weighing against Israel. It cited a database from the Jewish People Policy Institute that counted 139 such measures across 64 countries and entities as of Oct. 18 [1].
Le Coin could not open the original broadcaster's page [2], so the quotes here rely on Ynet's English translation.
Sources
- Ynetnews, "'Get used to it': Netanyahu warns US military aid will end, eyes blockchain to bypass sanctions," Oct. 23, 2026, 11:06 a.m. ET, https://www.ynetnews.com/business/article/sykiilt3gx, accessed Oct. 23, 2026, 1:24 p.m. ET.
- Channel 10 / Economy Channel, interview with Benjamin Netanyahu by Roy Katz, Oct. 23, 2026, https://www.tv10.co.il/news/israel/126201/ (returned an error to Le Coin; not read), accessed Oct. 23, 2026, 1:24 p.m. ET.
Holding the Corner.
Not financial advice.