Digital Currencies and the Mark of the Beast
Digital Currencies: The Rise of Centralized Control and the Mark of the Beast
The article explores the growing adoption of Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs), using Nigeria’s eNaira as a case study. It highlights the global shift toward digital currencies, with countries like China, Russia, and the EU developing their own systems. The piece warns that CBDCs enable unprecedented government control over financial transactions, which could lead to a loss of privacy and freedom. Drawing on biblical prophecy, the article links these developments to the “Mark of the Beast,” suggesting that CBDCs could pave the way for a global authoritarian regime, where individuals are tracked and their buying power is controlled.
By Rick Brinegar
Digital Control is Closer Than You Think
Imagine what it would be like if all your movements and transactions were tracked and controlled. Just for a moment, visualize having to share your social media content to open a bank account or apply for a loan. What would it be like to have restrictions on everything you can buy or sell enforced through centralized digital currencies? You would not be able to hide even the smallest transaction from government surveillance. Unfortunately, this is not just a vision of a far-off dystopian future. It is an up-to-date reality in modern-day Nigeria and it may be coming to the country you live in very soon.
Nigeria’s Makeover, Full Digital Transformation
Nigeria’s transformation is giving us a glimpse into the future of the coming digital age. Africa’s most populous country is fully adopting smart technology and is rapidly implementing smart city control of homes, institutions, traffic, parking, energy grids, public services and emergency response systems. Nigeria is also enforcing identity management and location tracking using its National Identification Number (NIN), anticipating completion of its biometric ID registry by 2025. Meanwhile, a non-physical medium of exchange called CBDCs or Central Bank Digital Currencies, has been developed as a key component of Nigeria’s centralized control system. Nigeria was the first African country to implement CBDC technology with their eNaira in late 2021.[1] More recently, a 2023 survey showed that one out of every three Nigerians were already using digital currencies daily.[2] Central Bank Digital Currencies are the virtual money which will soon replace the world’s paper and metal coin currencies and Nigeria’s monetary makeover may be a harbinger of things to come.
Universal Financial System Ahead
The eNaira, a CBDC issued and regulated by the Central Bank of Nigeria, was the first of its kind in Africa but it could well be the “canary in the coal mine,” a precursor of the potential hazards of rolling out dystopian technologies across the globe. Smart cities, digital IDs and national identification systems are just the beginning. By the time digital currency technologies are globally implemented, they will enable centralized worldwide governmental control of all financial markets and businesses, all buying and selling and the finances of everyone on Earth. It is in the Bible, it is happening now and it is the fulfillment of a 2,000-year-old prophecy found in Revelation 13:
“And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.” (Revelation 13:16-17)
CBDCs vs. Cryptocurrencies, Exact Opposites
To understand how Central Bank Digital Currencies are fulfilling Bible prophecy, we need to first see the distinction between CBDCs and cryptocurrencies, two forms of virtual money which are completely opposite. The major difference is that CBDCs are regulated and issued by a government’s central bank, while cryptocurrencies, which are provided by the market, are decentralized and unregulated. According to Nicholas Anthony of the CATO Institute, CBDCs would endanger financial privacy, freedom, markets and security. “A CBDC would fundamentally differ from existing money,” he writes, “because it would establish a direct line between citizens and the federal government — a sort of digital tether.” Mr. Anthony adds an insight from Representative Warren Davidson (R‑OH) who recently observed, “A lot of times people conflate something like Bitcoin or crypto with central bank digital currency [, but] it’s the exact opposite. Bitcoin doesn’t have a central authority at its heart — there’s no one to grant you permission. … There’s no central authority able to filter it or cancel it.” Unfortunately, according to Mr. Anthony, “governments are trying to centralize money more than ever before.”[3] The Antichrist’s fast-approaching one-world regime will depend on just such centralized economic authority.
Centralized Control
After the Antichrist has consolidated his power, you will not be able to buy or sell anything without government-approved credentials. In other words, you will not be able to buy food, clothing, housing or other essentials without the Antichrist’s mark, his name or the number of his name. In the last days, most of the world’s nations will be subject to the Antichrist’s widespread tyranny and many of them are already happily surrendering their sovereignty to globalist programs.
Over 130 Countries Pursuing CBDCs
Nigeria is only one of many nations advancing centralized monetary digitalization. According to the Atlantic Council, by March 2024, over 130 countries were actively exploring CBDC initiatives for their economies.[4] According to Investopedia, 11 countries have implemented a CBDC option among their payment services: Bahamas, Antigua and Barbuda, Anguilla, St. Kitts and Nevis, Montserrat, Dominica, Saint Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada, Jamaica and Nigeria. Some of the countries currently researching or rolling out state-controlled monetary systems include China, the European Union, Russia, India, Kyrgyzstan, India and the United States.[5]
China’s e-CNY, Surveillance & Control
China’s version of a central bank digital currency is the digital Yuan, also called the e-CNY. The People’s Bank of China has been issuing e-CNY accounts to individuals for retail transactions since the first public test in April 2021. The e-CNY was the first digital currency to be issued by a major economy.[6] As of July 2024, the e-CNY had been rolled out in 29 cities for full-scale implementation. Some commentators see the digital Yuan as a form of Chinese government surveillance and control over users and their financial transactions. According to a Forbes article from July 2024, it is likely the Central Bank knows each balance and each wallet account along with the personal information needed to create those accounts. Particularly disturbing is the disclosure in the Forbes article that the People’s Bank of China can attach expiration dates to the digital monies.[7]
European Union’s Digital Euro, ‘Close to Cash’
In June 2024, the European Central Bank announced its first progress report on the first phase of the development of the European centralized digital payment system, the digital euro. The ECB envisions a digital euro to be as close to cash as possible in terms of privacy, safety and accessibility. It would be free to use anywhere in the eurozone 20 member states. It will be supervised by independent data protection authorities that will monitor its compliance with European data regulations. The European Central Bank sees the digital euro as a complement to existing cash and banknotes and not as a replacement. Member of Parliament Markus Ferber told Euronews that the digital euro should be used mainly for everyday purchases, not for saving substantial amounts. Euronews contributor Paula Soler speculated that the digital euro is not likely to become a reality until at least the end of 2027.[8]
Russia’s Digital Ruble, Evading Sanctions
The Bank of Russia announced in September 2024 that additional features would be added to its pilot phase of the digital Ruble, including payment via QR code and expansion to 9,000 individuals and 1,200 companies. The digital Ruble is expected to increase the speed of payments and reduce costs. Anatoly Aksakov, Chairman of the State Committee on Financial Markets noted that the digital Ruble project is progressing successfully and that, if there are no incidents, it will become “truly widespread” from “the second half or closer to the end of 2025.” It is expected to provide Russia with a tool to evade Western sanctions restricting foreign trade payments and “keep pace with the rapidly evolving digitalization landscape.”[9]
India’s e-Rupee, Programmable, User-Targeted
Nine banks participated in the initial pilot programs of the Digital Rupee, also known as the eINR or e-Rupee. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) launched the test phase in December 2022.[10] By the end of 2023, RBI was recording over a million retail CBDC transactions in a single day. However, India’s central bank Governor Shaktikanta Das has cautioned against implementing a system-wide full retail rollout “before gaining a comprehensive understanding of its impact on users, monetary policy, the financial system, and the broader economy.” Das struck an ominous tone when he lauded the programmability feature of CBDCs. He said that CBDCs “could serve as a key enabler for financial inclusion by ensuring delivery of funds to the targeted user,” such as farmers getting purpose-bound money for the generation of carbon credits. Also, by August 2024, Google, PhonePe, Amazon Pay, Cred and MobiKwik were looking to join the Reserve Bank of India’s digital currency project by offering transactions in the e-Rupee.[11]
Kyrgyzstan, Russian Ally’s Digital Som
The Kyrgyz Republic, a strategic partner and ally of Russia, is preparing to launch its own digital currency, the digital Som by 2027. The National Bank of Kyrgyzstan has initiated public discussions on constitutional law amendments which will use a “specialized software system” of “digital accounts” and “digital wallets.” A target date of January 2027 has been established for when the digital currency is expected to be fully integrated into the country’s financial system. According to the Times of Central Asia, it is planned the digital Som will offer new benefits such as “more transparent and secure transactions, reduced bureaucratic obstacles and convenient access to financial services through mobile applications.”[12]
United States’ CBDC, by Executive Order
In March 2022, President Biden directed the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) to scrutinize and produce a viable answer for creating a digital dollar and to outline plans to guide its creation. The Biden administration stated that a U.S. CBDC “should safely meet future needs for payment services and be free of credit risk and liquidity risk for the public.” The administration also noted possible risks, including privacy and data protection issues and that financial crimes could “threaten consumers’ privacy rights and result in the loss of assets.” A U.S. central bank digital currency would not replace the U.S. dollar. It would complement physical cash by offering more payment options. According to the Federal Reserve, a CBDC is “not to reduce or replace [U.S. dollars].”[13] White House policy requires that the CBDC “expand equitable access to the financial system, preserve the role of physical cash, and collect only strictly necessary data.” When he was asked whether a Federal Reserve or central bank digital currency might be within view, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell told a congressional committee in 2024, “We’re nowhere near recommending – or let alone adopting – a central bank digital currency in any form.” While Powell concedes the Federal Reserve continues to research digital currency, he says this about the obstacles to success in the immediate future: “The last thing we would want with the Federal Reserve would be to have individual accounts for all Americans, or any Americans for that matter.”[14]
Great Reset, Global Digital Takeover
Powerful global players led by the World Economic Forum, with enthusiastic support of the United Nations, western leaders and major corporations, are openly promoting a sinister movement called the Great Reset. Since this radical plan for transforming society was launched in June 2020, seemingly to facilitate recovery from the COVID pandemic, the U.N. and the WEF have promoted several global initiatives with a view toward total tracking and control. The most famous slogan of the Great Reset is that by 2030, you will “own nothing and you will be happy.” You will have no privacy, no private property and the only currency you have will be virtual, electronic and centrally monitored. Everyone will need a digital ID to travel freely and much like communist China, the provision of your food, clothing, housing, transportation and other essentials will be dependent on your loyalty to this new world order system.[15] Early development of a single global authority over all transactions and all human behavior had some of its origins in the creation of the United Nations Identity Agenda.
The United Nations Legal Identity Agenda
The United Nations is planning an identification system for all of humanity to be completed by 2030. The United Nations’ 2030 Agenda Sustainable Development Goal 16.9 states, “By 2030, provide legal identity for all, including birth registration.” The UNHCR U.N. refugee program has been using a biometric identity management system for refugees since the initial rollout in 2013.[16] Digital identity and digital monetary systems are often proposed to help make economies more inclusive and elevate the less fortunate and marginalized elements of the economy.
Global Digital Compact
Two years ago, U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres established the Global Digital Compact which was intended to ensure that digital technologies were used responsibly. It was implemented to “address key digital issues in a multilateral way.” The World Economic Forum’s April 2024 website explained how the Global Digital Compact identifies critical areas of inclusion, data governance, online human rights, Artificial Intelligence governance and how to address misleading or harmful content. The document was an essential feature of the more encompassing U.N. Summit for the Future which met in September 2024. This summit concluded with the adoption of the Pact for the Future, a foundational document for intergovernmental discussions.[17] The Global Digital Compact is a step toward the Mark of the Beast, as is any initiative which centralizes world government control. A key component of central economic control is efficient digital identification technology.
WEF-Canada Traveler Digital Identity
The World Economic Forum has an ongoing contract with Canada for a globally recognized digital ID program. The project uses advanced technologies such as biometrics and digital identity credentials to reduce or replace the “analogue” processes which were previously in place. The Known Traveler Digital Identity initiative has been criticized for being a globalist agenda power grab. Critics charge that it has bypassed public opinion to negotiate a $105.3 million agreement with the Trudeau government to install a WEF tracking tool.[18]
WEF-Canada Agile Nations Charter
The Agile Nations Charter was signed by the Canadian government and the World Economic Forum in November 2020. The Agile Nations Charter is an international network designed to streamline regulations across borders and advance digital credentials and technologies. Detractors claim the Agile Nations Charter project makes it easier for digital IDs to become part of our permanent daily lives and that the government could use personal information to abuse its power. Also, critics believe Canadians should have the choice to opt out of privacy-intrusive digital IDs.[19]
Digital Currency Dangers
CBDCs would be a dream come true for globalist central planners but disastrous for Americans. Governments want Central Bank Digital Currencies but they would almost certainly lead to tyranny. Central Bank Digital Currencies are extremely dangerous because they would result in the nationalization of the entire banking system. Instead of banking with Bank of America, Chase or Wells Fargo, for example, you would essentially be banking directly with the Federal Reserve. Some would say, since your bank is already working with the Fed, why should removing the middleman be risky? It is high-risk because the Federal Reserve has an extremely dangerous ability to create or destroy money with the push of a button. Centralizing all transactions would add the power to control or approve every purchase or money transfer from every individual or business in the country, providing an unprecedented opportunity for tyranny. Although the Fed already has the power to create and destroy money, it lacks the authority to direct that for which it is used. With CBDCs, the Fed would have the power to enforce where and how you could spend your money. If the stock market were in decline, the Fed could add money to your account but program it to be used only to prop up the market. If gas prices were escalating, the Fed could lock your account or allow gas purchases only on certain days. If you disagree with establishment policies and the administration considers you to be a threat, they could shut down your account and prevent you from accessing your own money, as Canada did with protesting truckers in 2022. But with CBDCs, the federal government would have a level of control which no government on Earth has ever had, the kind of power authoritarian regimes like communist China or North Korea can only dream of. According to Nick Freitas of The Why Minutes, perhaps that is why Thomas Jefferson wrote in a letter to John Taylor, “banking establishments are more dangerous than standing armies.”[20] [21]
Florida Governor Sees CBDC Dangers
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis was so upset about the plan to centralize digital currency, he persuaded Florida’s legislature to ban the use of CBDCs in Florida. Gov. DeSantis told John Stossel, “I think it would be a total disaster. … Sometimes government does things that may appear to be benevolent but really are kind of like a wolf in sheep’s clothing. This is a wolf coming as a wolf.”[22]
Trump Promises to ‘Never Allow’ CBDC
Former President and current GOP candidate Donald Trump pledged during a campaign stop in New Hampshire in January 2024, to “never allow” the Federal Reserve to create a CBDC. “As your president,” he promised, “I will never allow the creation of a central bank digital currency. Such a currency would give the federal government absolute control of your money. This would be a dangerous threat to freedom — and I will stop it from coming to America.”[23]
States Block CBDCs
In 2023, Indiana became the first state to decide not to participate in any federal digitalization of currency that might be adopted by changing the definition of “money” under the state’s Uniform Commercial Code (UCC). Similar laws were passed in Florida in 2023 and in South Dakota, Tennessee and Utah in 2024. Indiana took a second step in 2024 by passing a regulation which prohibited state agencies from accepting payments made with any CBDC. Also, Indiana government bodies are prohibited from supporting the development of CBDCs by the United States government. Alabama, North Dakota and Georgia went on to pass similar laws. Though the Federal Reserve has not decided yet to implement a digital currency, federal officials have confirmed that state-level roadblocks to the war on cash are the main reason for delaying a rollout.
CBDCs, a Control Trap
Online vlogger Richard the Fourth sees Central Bank Digital Currencies as a tool to control cash supply and financial exchanges by limiting individual freedoms. “Privacy could disappear and the limits to government spending would be eliminated,” he posted in an August 2024 YouTube video, “Even worse, the power of governments to decide who and why people receive new tokens of this money would be unchallenged. In today’s world, we shouldn’t even discuss any tool that could open the gate to giving even more power and control over the economy, wages, and savings to governments.”[24]
Antichrist Total Tyranny Ahead
As nations race to develop increasingly invasive technologies, we must be wary of a future in which everything is digitized, controlled and surveilled. Your privacy is already rarely considered by the companies and products with which you interact. Digital IDs, biometrics and digital currencies can only accelerate the compromise of your confidential information. Not only that but it is also increasingly more likely your previously confidential purchase records, travel history, activities, associations and relationships will be used against you. While it may at first seem more efficient, convenient or inclusive, CBDC technology is rapidly paving the way for the worldwide tyranny of the Mark of the Beast.
[1] Macdonald, A. (2023, February 2). Next for Nigeria’s NIN: Location tracking and smart cities. Retrieved September 12, 2024, from https://www.biometricupdate.com/202302/next-for-nigerias-nin-location-tracking-and-smart-cities
[2] Adesanya, A. (23, June 5). 47% of Nigerians Use Crypto—Survey. Business Post. Retrieved September 12, 2024, from https://businesspost.ng/economy/47-of-nigerians-use-crypto-survey
[3] Anthony, N. (2023, May 31). CBDC vs. Crypto: What’s the Difference? Retrieved September 12, 2024, from https://www.cato.org/blog/cbdc-vs-crypto-whats-difference
[4] Ananya Kumar, A., & Chhangani,, A. (n.d.). Central Bank Digital Currency Tracker. Atlantic Council. Retrieved September 12, 2024, from https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/cbdctracker/
[5] Amure, T. O. (2024, June 8). What Will a U.S. Central Bank Digital Currency Look Like? Retrieved September 12, 2024, from https://www.investopedia.com/us-cbdc-6740586
[6] Areddy, J. T. (2021, April 5). China Creates its Own Digital Currency, a First for Major Economy. Retrieved February 12, 2024, from https://www.wsj.com/articles/china-creates-its-own-digital-currency-a-first-for-major-economy-11617634118
[7] Huang, R. (2024, July 5). A 2024 Overview of the e-CNY, China’s Digital Yuan. Retrieved September 12, 2024, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/digital-assets/2024/07/15/a-2024-overview-of-the-e-cny-chinas-digital-yuan/
[8] Soler, P. (2024, May 7). Decoding the digital euro: A potential new means of payment. Retrieved September 12, 2024, from https://www.euronews.com/buconceive ofsiness/2024/07/05/decoding-the-digital-euro-a-potential-new-means-of-payment
[9] Roginskyte, B. (23, August 30). Will Russia’s Digital Currency Bypass Western Sanctions by Fostering Investment Opportunities? Retrieved September 12, 2024, from https://fiscalnote.com/blog/russia-digital-ruble-currency
[10] Fredly, A. (2022, November 1). India’s Central Bank Begins First Digital Currency Pilot, with 9 Banks Participating. Retrieved September 12, 2024, from https://www.theepochtimes.com/world/indias-central-bank-begins-first-digital-currency-pilot-with-9-banks-participating-4833610?utm_source=google_news_ar&utm_medium=GoogleAds&utm_campaign=reg_news_ar_0404_24_SupremeCourt&utm_term=reg_email&wall=7&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIgqu22MPCiAMVb9bCBB3OAAiGEAAYAiAAEgKHEfD_BwE
[11] Singh, A. (2024, August 26). India’s CBDC Has 5M Users, Can be Phased in Gradually: Central Bank Governor. Retrieved September 12, 2024, from https://finance.yahoo.com/news/indias-cbdc-5m-users-phased-103109269.html
[12] Ismailov, V. (2024, August 8). National Bank of Kyrgyzstan Announces 2027 Launch for Digital Som. Retrieved September 12, 2024, from National Bank of Kyrgyzstan Announces 2027 Launch for Digital Som
[13] Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (2023, April 11). Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC). Retrieved September 12, 2024, from https://www.federalreserve.gov/cbdc-faqs.htm
[14] Hamilton, J. (2024, March 7). U.S. Fed Chair Powell Says ‘Nowhere Near’ Pursuing CBDC, Won’t Spy on Americans. Retrieved September 12, 2024, from https://www.coindesk.com/policy/2024/03/07/us-fed-chair-powell-says-nowhere-near-pursuing-cbdc-wont-spy-on-americans/
[15] Stakelbeck, E. (2023, May 19). The Great Reset: Global Government & Digital Currency by 2030? | Kwak Brothers | Watchman Newscast. Retrieved September 12, 2024, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JsldnQkk_g
[16] Rebelo, K. (2017, April 27). Is UN Planning Biometric Identification for Humanity By 2030?: A FactCheck. Boom. Retrieved September 12, 2024, from https://www.boomlive.in/is-un-planning-biometric-identification-for-humanity-by-2030-a-factcheck/
[17] World Economic Forum (2024, April 24). Why the Global Digital Compact’s focus on digital trust and security is key to the future of internet. Retrieved September 12, 2024, from https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2024/04/united-nations-global-digital-compact-trust-security/
[18]Chartier, N. (2023, January 20). Feds ‘Committed’ to Completing WEF-Initiated Digital ID Project, Says Transport Canada. Retrieved September 12, 2024, from https://www.theepochtimes.com/world/feds-committed-to-complete-wef-initiated-digital-id-project-says-transport-canada-5000467
[19] Lewis, L. (2023, June 10). Liberals partnership with WEF – Agile Nations Charter. Retrieved September 12, 2024, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqubDMHd-rU
[20] Freitas, N. (2024, June 5). Why Central Bank Digital Currencies Are So Dangerous. Retrieved September 12, 2024, from https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=XHkzRwB-Als&si=Uth9c_P_MdLpLHhG
[21] The Online Library of Liberty (n.d.). The Works of Thomas Jefferson, vol. 11 (Correspondence and Papers 1808-1816). Retrieved September 12, 24, from https://oll.libertyfund.org/quotes/thomas-jefferson-in-a-letter-to-john-taylor-condemns-the-system-of-banking-as-a-blot-on-the-constitution-as-corrupt-and-that-long-term-government-debt-was-swindling-future-generations-1816 The Online Library of Liberty
[22] Stossel, J. (2023, May 10). Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on the Dangers of a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC). Retrieved August 9, 24, from https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=O19sr6Q2na8&si=LRwxehrmUQQVpL7G
[23] Moran, A. (2024, January 18). Trump Promises to ‘Never Allow’ Central Bank Digital Currency. Retrieved September 12, 2024, from https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/trump-promises-to-never-allow-a-digital-dollar-5568505
[24] Richard The Fourth (2024, August 18). Are CBDC’s a Trap Devised to Control You? Retrieved September 12, 2024, from https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=A2zL7Ghfn-k&si=wR8QVlt7ylJrSwlx