Money is a weapon system — and cryptocurrency has become a policy issue
In 2009, the U.S. Army published an unusual document titled The Commander’s Guide to Money as a Weapons System. It was not written by economists, nor intended for classrooms. It was a practical field manual for military commanders. Its core message was stark: money is not neutral. Properly deployed, it can shape behavior, secure legitimacy, stabilize societies, and weaken adversaries—often more effectively than force.
At the time, this framing may have seemed confined to counterinsurgency and post-conflict environments. Today, it reads like a blueprint for global economic reality.
Modern power is increasingly exercised through financial means. Sanctions,…
