#Gate广场四月发帖挑战

Recently, a new trend has emerged in the international energy payment system that cannot be ignored. Bloomberg reports that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran has begun offering "safe passage" services to oil tanker operators, payable in RMB or cryptocurrencies. The service fee is approximately $1 per barrel, targeting ultra-large oil tankers with a capacity of up to 2 million barrels, with single transactions reaching as much as $2 million. The change in payment methods actually signals a potential shockwave in the global energy trade landscape.

Why is this development worth paying attention to? The Strait of Hormuz is a critical passage for global oil circulation, with about one-fifth of crude oil supplies passing through it. Historically, oil trade has been dominated by the US dollar. Since the collapse of the Bretton Woods system, the dollar has been established as the dominant currency for global oil and gas pricing. This is not only about trade convenience but also a cornerstone of US global economic influence. Saudi Arabia and the US reached a "petrodollar" agreement, forcing countries to hold dollar reserves for half a century, supporting the demand for the dollar and US fiscal operations.

But now, the Strait of Hormuz is transforming into a region where the dollar is no longer absolutely dominant. Iran has reached an agreement with Pakistan to allow 20 Pakistani-flagged oil tankers to pass through, guiding major traders to re-register their ships. After payment, Iran issues "secret codes" and route instructions, requiring ships to fly flags of intermediary countries, sometimes even changing ship registration. These operations, on the surface, seem to be about evading sanctions, but in reality, they are promoting the implementation of an alternative payment mechanism.

Why choose RMB? China is Iran’s largest buyer of oil, and paying in RMB not only bypasses US sanctions but also grants Iran more initiative in financial matters. More deeply, this is just the tip of the iceberg—an alternative financial system based on RMB and cryptocurrencies is taking shape. Similar cases have already occurred in Russia. Since Western sanctions in 2022, Russia has accelerated energy exports settled in RMB. By 2025, the share of RMB in Russian oil transactions has far exceeded expectations. The Shanghai Stock Exchange has become a platform for energy contract settlements in RMB, and China’s CIPS system is gradually expanding, becoming a new alternative outside SWIFT.

What do these changes mean? De-dollarization of the energy market has shifted from theory to reality. Iran’s approach is not only an economic exploration but also a geopolitical strategy. The IRGC provides a "rating" system for different countries, adjusting terms based on political relations and loyalty—more like a strategic resource exchange than ordinary commercial services. Tehran openly states that this measure is not only to meet war funding needs but also to redefine control over transportation routes. Countries paying transit fees in RMB are effectively promoting RMB internationalization; those agreeing to raise the Iranian flag become beneficiaries of the new system; countries refusing to participate may lose access to important trade routes.

Currently, this new payment system has limited influence, but its emergence is highly symbolic. The era of the dollar as the sole currency for oil trading is gradually breaking down, giving buyers and sellers more options. For some countries, this means greater freedom; for others, it could bring more uncertainty and chaos. In the future, changes in energy payment methods are likely to become an important point of observation in the evolution of the global financial landscape.