US Treasury Unveils “Project Sentinel” as BRICS Payment System Goes Live
Washington D.C., USA — January 11, 2026
In a definitive response to the growing momentum of de-dollarization, the United States Treasury Department, in coordination with the Federal Reserve, has today announced the formal activation of “Project Sentinel.”
This strategic initiative marks the launch of the wholesale Digital Dollar (w-CBDC) pilot, specifically designed to counter the “BRICS Pay” network that officially began cross-border operations earlier this morning.
As of January 11, 2026, the global financial architecture is effectively split into two competing digital ecosystems: the Western-led “Sentinel” rails and the gold-backed BRICS+ “Unit” system.
Headline Points:
BRICS Pay Launch:
The BRICS+ bloc (led by China and Russia) has activated its decentralized blockchain payment system, bypassing SWIFT for 22 member and partner nations.
The “Unit” Mechanism:
The new BRICS trade currency, “The Unit,” has debuted with a hybrid backing of 40% physical gold and 60% a basket of local BRICS currencies.
US Project Sentinel:
The US Treasury’s w-CBDC pilot seeks to settle large-scale international transactions in real-time, aiming to preserve the dollar’s role as the primary settlement asset.
Tariff Threats:
The US administration has reiterated its “100% Tariff Warning” to any nation that moves more than 50% of its trade volume into the BRICS Pay architecture.
Market Volatility:
Gold prices have surged past $2,800 per ounce as central banks in Asia and the Middle East diversify reserves into physical bullion.
The arrival of January 2026 has brought the long-anticipated “Great De-linking” to fruition.
The BRICS Pay system, which has been in development for years, is no longer a theoretical threat.
It is now a functional reality, enabling countries like Iran, Brazil, and India to settle oil and commodity trades without ever touching a U.S. dollar or entering the SWIFT messaging network.
This infrastructure provides a critical “sanction-proof” corridor, particularly for nations targeted by Western financial restrictions.
In Washington, the sense of urgency is palpable. “Project Sentinel” is the U.S. government’s high-tech gamble to modernize the dollar for the 21st century.
Unlike a retail digital currency for consumers, Sentinel is a “wholesale” tool aimed at central banks and major financial institutions.
By providing a faster, cheaper, and more transparent digital dollar, the Treasury hopes to offer an alternative that maintains the security of the American financial umbrella while matching the speed of blockchain-based rivals.
However, the “Unit”—the BRICS+ settlement asset—offers something the dollar cannot: a return to commodity backing.
With its 40% gold anchor, the Unit is marketed as a “neutral” and stable asset designed to protect emerging markets from the inflation and debasement of fiat currencies.
Castle Journal global’s exclusive economic department reports that internal U.S. Treasury memos have expressed concern that the “Unit” may attract not just political rivals, but even traditional U.S. allies in the Middle East who are seeking to hedge their wealth against the volatile U.S. debt ceiling debates.
The stakes are existential. If the BRICS Pay system successfully captures a significant share of global oil trade—frequently referred to as the “Petrodollar”—the demand for US Treasury bonds could plummet, leading to higher interest rates and economic contraction in the West.
Conversely, the US “Project Sentinel” aims to leverage the unmatched liquidity and legal transparency of the American system to keep the global majority within the dollar’s orbit.
As of this morning, global markets are reacting with extreme caution. The principle of a unified global market is dissolving; in its place, we see the rise of two distinct financial “selves,” each vying for dominance.
For the world leadership, the coming months will require a delicate balancing act of “Transcendent Ego” to navigate a world where money is no longer just a medium of exchange, but a primary weapon of geopolitical statecraft.
