How the Stablecoin Milkshake Will Redollarize the World | Brent Johnson
CryptoFinTech

Bankless

How the Stablecoin Milkshake Will Redollarize the World | Brent Johnson

BanklessJan 5, 2026

AI Summary

In this episode, Brent Johnson revisits his Dollar Milkshake Theory, arguing that while de‑dollarization narratives gain traction, the Eurodollar system and debt dynamics will ultimately pull demand back to the U.S. dollar, especially as sovereign debt crises trigger political instability. He highlights how stablecoins—bolstered by the GENIUS Act—could accelerate a "redollarization" by providing a digital, dollar‑denominated store of value and medium of exchange, and discusses China’s dual‑currency strategy as a counter‑move. Johnson concludes with investment positioning advice, emphasizing the importance of monetary sovereignty and the likely resurgence of the dollar in crisis scenarios.

Episode Description

Brent Johnson returns to Bankless to update the Dollar Milkshake Theory and explain why the de-dollarization narrative misses the bigger trend. He argues markets may want out of the dollar, but the Eurodollar system keeps pulling demand back in, and “dollar down” headlines do not break the framework. Brent also covers how debt stress can spill into political instability, why stablecoins and the GENIUS Act could accelerate re-dollarization, and what this means for monetary sovereignty. We close with China’s counter-strategy and how Brent thinks about positioning from here.


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TIMESTAMPS

0:00 Intro

1:20 De-Dollarizing vs Re-Dollarizing: Milkshake Recap

4:18 What a Sovereign Debt Crisis Actually Means

5:45 Central Banks as “Professional Can-Kickers”

8:56 Can They Slowly Let the Air Out?

11:03 Can AI Productivity Save the System?

13:06 2025 Setup: The Narrative for Dedollarization

18:06 BRICS: Conference Talk vs Structural Reality

23:37 Store of Value vs Medium of Exchange

34:24 “Crisis = Dollar Up” (and the April Exception)

39:06 Stablecoin Redollarization and the GENIUS Act

47:20 Monetary Sovereignty, Faster Bank Runs, Faster Dollarization

52:34 China’s Response: Two Currency Stacks

54:21 Positioning as an Investor


RESOURCES

Brent Johnson

https://x.com/SantiagoAuFund

The Dollar Milkshake Theory

https://research.santiagocapital.com/p/the-dollar-milkshake


Not financial or tax advice. See our investment disclosures here:

https://www.bankless.com/disclosures

Show Notes

Brent Johnson returns to Bankless to update the Dollar Milkshake Theory and explain why the de-dollarization narrative misses the bigger trend. He argues markets may want out of the dollar, but the Eurodollar system keeps pulling demand back in, and “dollar down” headlines do not break the framework. Brent also covers how debt stress can spill into political instability, why stablecoins and the GENIUS Act could accelerate re-dollarization, and what this means for monetary sovereignty. We close with China’s counter-strategy and how Brent thinks about positioning from here.

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📣SPOTIFY PREMIUM RSS FEED | USE CODE: SPOTIFY24

https://bankless.cc/spotify-premium

---

👑BANKLESS PREMIUM | AD-FREE & BONUS EPISODES

https://bankless.cc/spotify-premium

🎯THE DEFI REPORT | ONCHAIN INSIGHTS

https://bankless.cc/the-defi-report

💰ICO WATCH | UPCOMING PUBLIC TOKEN SALES

https://bankless.cc/ico-watch

---

TIMESTAMPS

0:00 Intro

1:20 De-Dollarizing vs Re-Dollarizing: Milkshake Recap

4:18 What a Sovereign Debt Crisis Actually Means

5:45 Central Banks as “Professional Can-Kickers”

8:56 Can They Slowly Let the Air Out?

11:03 Can AI Productivity Save the System?

13:06 2025 Setup: The Narrative for Dedollarization

18:06 BRICS: Conference Talk vs Structural Reality

23:37 Store of Value vs Medium of Exchange

34:24 “Crisis = Dollar Up” (and the April Exception)

39:06 Stablecoin Redollarization and the GENIUS Act

47:20 Monetary Sovereignty, Faster Bank Runs, Faster Dollarization

52:34 China’s Response: Two Currency Stacks

54:21 Positioning as an Investor

---

RESOURCES

Brent Johnson

https://x.com/SantiagoAuFund

The Dollar Milkshake Theory

https://research.santiagocapital.com/p/the-dollar-milkshake

---

Not financial or tax advice. See our investment disclosures here:

https://www.bankless.com/disclosures

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