The Global South Just Lit the Fuse on a New Financial World Order
The BRICS+ Alliance Isn't Just Talking Anymore. They're Rewriting the Rules.
There comes a moment in every empire's life cycle when the rest of the world simply stops asking for permission.
That moment just arrived.
In early July 2025, the leaders of BRICS+ met in Rio de Janeiro and what they announced wasn't just symbolic. It was a declaration of independence.
Not from a nation. From a system.
The dollar-based world order, one that has funneled economic power to the U.S. and its allies for decades, is being challenged head-on.
And this isn't just talk.
We're witnessing a once-in-a-generation realignment of global financial power. Not years from now. Right now.
The old world was built on the dollar. The new one is being forged in rubles, yuan, dirhams, rupees, and gold.
"We don't want an emperor."
With those six words, Brazil's President Lula da Silva captured the mood in Rio.
No more financial intimidation. No more unilateral tariffs. No more being told who they can trade with, how they must pay, or what currencies are "acceptable."
The message from the Global South was simple: We will no longer play by rules we didn’t write.
And that message resonated.
Because the bloc is no longer a fringe coalition. BRICS+ now represents over 40% of the global population and over 30% of nominal global GDP.
And here's the shocker: In purchasing power parity (PPP) terms, BRICS+ is already bigger than the G7.
What began as an idea in the 2000s is now a geopolitical counterweight.
And it's using real tools, not ideology, to shift the balance.
The Dollar’s Quiet Retreat
Instead of launching a flashy new currency, the BRICS bloc chose something far more powerful: pragmatism.
Cross-border payment systems, central bank digital currencies (CBDCs), currency swap lines, and trade settled in local currencies—these are the bricks in the wall.
And the numbers are staggering:
Russia and China: Now settle 90%+ of their bilateral trade in yuan or rubles.
India: Routinely buys Russian oil in yuan and dirhams.
Saudi Arabia: Participating in Project mBridge—a cross-border CBDC platform.
Global gold purchases: Set to break 1,000 metric tons again in 2025, with BRICS nations leading the charge.
Behind the scenes, this bloc is dismantling dollar dependency. Slowly. Methodically. Irreversibly.
And markets are starting to notice.
Just days before the summit, President Trump vowed to impose 10% to 25% tariffs on countries "abetting" BRICS de-dollarization efforts.
It backfired.
India didn't flinch. Modi's administration helped craft the language condemning unilateral trade coercion.
China responded with poise: "We reject coercion. We stand for cooperation."
South Africa’s Ramaphosa said it plainly: "Tariffs shouldn't be used to bully partners."
The result? Unity.
Even U.S. allies like Japan and the EU quietly opened backchannel talks with BRICS members.
In a world where coercion once meant compliance, that era is ending. And the proof is mounting.
China is now buying the majority of its oil from Russia, not in dollars, but in yuan.
India's state refiners are doing the same with dirhams.
Saudi Arabia, long seen as the keystone of the petrodollar, is openly flirting with a multi-currency oil settlement model.
And gold?
The world’s central banks are buying it faster than at any time since World War II. Because they know: in a fracturing world, gold is no one's liability.
The dollar's role as the global neutral currency is no longer neutral. It's a weapon. And everyone knows it.
That fear is fueling the shift.
So What Happens Next?
If you're a serious investor, here’s what matters:
Capital is diversifying. Central banks are reallocating into gold and non-dollar assets. That trend is accelerating.
Local currency bond markets in BRICS nations are surging. Expect greater inflows as new payment systems gain traction.
Commodity trade is decoupling from the dollar. Energy and metals may soon be priced in yuan, rupees, or digital tokens.
U.S. economic leverage is weakening. Sanctions and tariffs have a diminishing impact when alternatives exist.
This isn’t a collapse.
It’s a recalibration. And those who spot it early will be the ones who prosper.
A Multipolar World Is No Longer Coming. It’s Here.
The Rio Summit of July 2025 will be remembered not for headlines but for what changed behind the scenes:
The launch of BRICS Pay.
The strengthening of the New Development Bank.
The open rejection of economic coercion.
This was the moment the Global South stopped asking for a seat at the table.
They brought their own table.
And for investors who understand that the world is fragmenting into financial spheres of influence, this isn’t a threat.
It’s a roadmap.
Ignore it, and you’re flying blind. Follow it, and you’ll be ahead of the next tectonic shift.
Stay Sharp,
Gideon Ashwood