Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he has directed officials to draw up plans for using blockchain and digital assets as a possible way around bank sanctions, a remark that pushed cryptocurrency policy into the final days of a national election campaign.

Netanyahu made the comment in an interview with Channel 10 that aired on Friday, October 23, 2026, four days before the October 27 vote. Asked whether blockchain could serve as a workaround, he said it was “one of them” and that a plan had already been requested. He framed the move as preparation for a scenario in which banking penalties are imposed on Israel, arguing the country needs an economy capable of functioning if that happens.

No official document has been released….