On The Record with Christian Briggs

Christian Briggs
  • 4.8 (17)
  • Investing

Broadcasting around the world, welcome to the Hard Asset Money show. Chaotic times call for fearless examination of the things that matter. Your wealth, your money, your future. This is the only show that will peel back the headline hysteria and get to the real issues that change the way you make money. No filters. No hidden agenda. Hosted by Christian Briggs.

  1. 20h ago

    THEY SAID CBDCs WERE A CONSPIRACY—NOW EUROPE JUST MADE ITS BIGGEST MOVE YET

    For years, Christian Briggs has warned that the world's financial system was quietly moving toward something far bigger than inflation, interest rates, or cryptocurrency. While many dismissed central bank digital currencies as a fringe theory or a distant possibility, governments around the world continued building the legal and technological foundation for a new era of money. Now, Europe has taken another major step toward implementing the Digital Euro while simultaneously tightening regulations on competing digital assets, raising a question that can no longer be ignored: Is this the beginning of the greatest transformation of the global monetary system in generations? In this eye-opening episode of On The Record, Christian explains why these recent developments should not be viewed as isolated headlines but as part of a much larger historical pattern. Drawing on decades of monetary history, he examines how governments have repeatedly responded to periods of rising debt, declining purchasing power, financial instability, and geopolitical uncertainty by expanding their control over monetary systems. He argues that today's push toward central bank digital currencies follows that same trajectory, not through dramatic overnight changes, but through years of legislation, regulation, and infrastructure development that most people never notice until the system has fundamentally changed. The discussion also explores Europe's evolving regulatory framework surrounding digital assets, including the growing restrictions affecting certain stablecoins, and why those changes matter far beyond the cryptocurrency market. Christian explains how monetary competition has historically evolved whenever governments introduced new financial systems and why the relationship between official digital currencies and privately issued digital assets may become one of the defining economic issues of the next decade. Most importantly, this episode examines the broader implications of programmable money. Christian separates established facts from future possibilities, asking difficult questions about privacy, financial autonomy, government authority, and the long-term balance between technological innovation and individual liberty. Rather than focusing on partisan politics or sensational predictions, he encourages listeners to view today's developments through the lens of history, reminding us that the most consequential financial transformations rarely arrive with a single announcement. They emerge gradually, one policy decision at a time, until an entirely new monetary landscape has quietly taken shape. Whether you believe central bank digital currencies represent progress, necessity, or cause for concern, this episode provides an in-depth look at why the future of money may already be unfolding—and why understanding it today could prove far more important than reacting to it tomorrow.

    52 min

  2. Jun 23

    CHINA'S DIGITAL SLAVE EMPIRE: How Quantum AI, Digital Money, and Lunar Resources Could Put Every Nation Under Beijing's Control

    What if the next Cold War isn't fought with tanks, missiles, or aircraft carriers—but with quantum computers, artificial intelligence, digital currencies, and resources mined from the Moon? In this explosive episode of On the Record, Christian Briggs examines the growing technological rivalry between the United States and China and explores a disturbing question: What happens if Beijing wins the race for the technologies that will define the twenty-first century?  The discussion begins with a stark reality. Throughout history, the nations that mastered the defining technologies of their era ultimately dominated the global order. Britain rode the Industrial Revolution. America led the age of aviation, computing, and nuclear power. Today, a new battle is emerging around artificial intelligence, advanced semiconductors, quantum computing, critical minerals, and digital infrastructure.  The episode explores how quantum computing could eventually shatter modern encryption, allowing future governments to unlock vast archives of communications once thought permanently secure. Intelligence agencies already operate under a chilling principle known as "harvest now, decrypt later," collecting encrypted data today in anticipation of tomorrow's quantum breakthroughs.  From there, the conversation moves into the resource war unfolding beneath the headlines. Gold, silver, rare earth elements, lithium, gallium, and other strategic materials are becoming the ammunition of the digital age. China has spent decades building dominant positions across critical supply chains while many Western nations outsourced production in pursuit of efficiency.  The most surprising section focuses on China's lunar ambitions. The program examines Helium-3, a rare isotope believed to exist in abundance on the Moon and potentially valuable for advanced scientific and technological applications. Whether or not Helium-3 ultimately fulfills its promise, China's investments in lunar infrastructure, quantum research, AI, and strategic resources reveal a nation thinking decades ahead while much of the West remains focused on short-term political cycles.  Finally, Briggs paints a picture of the world in 2035. If China's strategy succeeds, global trade, communications, artificial intelligence, manufacturing, and financial systems could become increasingly dependent on Chinese-built platforms and standards. The question is not whether this future is inevitable. The question is whether the United States is moving with enough urgency to ensure it never happens.  This episode argues that the battle for global power has already begun—and most people don't even realize they're living through it.

    52 min

  3. Jun 22

    AI Is Already Making Decisions for You: The Shocking Warning Washington Doesn’t Want to Talk About

    Artificial intelligence is no longer a futuristic concept—it is already reshaping how decisions are made across medicine, finance, transportation, military systems, and everyday life. In this thought-provoking episode of On the Record, Christian Briggs explores a question that once belonged to science fiction but is now becoming a real-world concern: What happens when humans increasingly surrender decision-making authority to machines?  Briggs explains that modern AI systems are advancing at extraordinary speed, performing tasks that once required teams of experts and weeks of development. Applications can now be created in hours, complex calculations can be completed in milliseconds, and AI is rapidly becoming embedded in systems that influence everything from healthcare procedures to financial operations. While these advancements promise enormous gains in efficiency and productivity, they also raise difficult questions about trust, accountability, and control.  A central concern discussed in the podcast is whether AI can truly understand the human factors behind important decisions. Machines may be able to process information faster than any person, but Briggs argues that human judgment involves more than logic alone. Emotion, empathy, context, and long-term consequences often influence decisions in ways that cannot easily be reduced to algorithms. As AI becomes more sophisticated, society must determine how much authority should be delegated to systems that lack genuine human understanding.  The conversation also explores the growing convergence of AI and robotics. Briggs points to autonomous drones, advanced automation, and emerging machine-learning systems as evidence that human oversight is steadily shrinking. He references incidents involving AI systems operating in unexpected ways, including reports of AI-driven behavior in financial networks and experimental systems modifying their own methods of communication. These developments raise concerns about what could happen if increasingly autonomous systems begin operating beyond human comprehension.  Perhaps the most striking warning centers on human dependency. Briggs argues that as people rely more heavily on AI for navigation, research, writing, analysis, and problem-solving, they risk weakening their own cognitive abilities. The convenience of artificial intelligence may come with an unintended cost: a gradual erosion of critical thinking and independent judgment. The challenge ahead, he suggests, is finding a balance that harnesses AI’s incredible capabilities without allowing technology to diminish the very human intelligence that created it.  The result is a fascinating discussion about innovation, responsibility, and whether humanity is prepared for the world it is rapidly building.

    14 min

  4. Jun 17

    QUANTUM WAR: The Secret Race That Could End American Power Forever

    The Cold War never ended—it evolved. In this explosive episode of On The Record, Christian Briggs examines what he believes is the most important geopolitical and technological battle unfolding in the world today: the race for quantum computing supremacy. While most Americans still view global competition through the lens of military power, missiles, and aircraft carriers, Briggs argues that the next great conflict will be decided by something far more powerful—computational dominance.  According to Briggs, the nation that achieves practical quantum computing first could gain an unprecedented advantage over every rival on Earth. Quantum technology has the potential to revolutionize artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, military planning, financial systems, intelligence gathering, logistics, advanced manufacturing, biotechnology, and communications. More importantly, it could allow whoever controls it to process information and solve problems at speeds unimaginable with today's most advanced supercomputers.  Briggs warns that China has spent years investing heavily in both quantum computing and artificial intelligence while simultaneously securing access to strategic resources around the globe. He explores China's growing focus on rare earth minerals, semiconductor supply chains, advanced communications networks, and even lunar resource extraction as part of what he describes as a long-term strategy for technological and economic dominance.  The discussion also examines the intersection of AI and quantum computing, which Briggs believes will create a feedback loop capable of accelerating technological development at an unprecedented pace. He argues that quantum-enhanced AI could dramatically transform every sector of society, from financial markets and healthcare to national defense and intelligence operations.  One of the most alarming topics covered is encryption. Briggs explains how future quantum systems may eventually be capable of breaking many of today's security standards, potentially reshaping cybersecurity, intelligence gathering, and global power dynamics. He discusses why governments worldwide are investing billions of dollars in quantum research and why national security agencies view the technology as one of the most consequential developments of the 21st century.  The central question of the episode is simple but profound: If the next Cold War is being fought with quantum processors instead of missiles, who will win—and what will the world look like when they do?

    52 min

  5. Jun 10

    137 Countries Are Building Digital Currencies—Is This the Beginning of the End for the U.S. Dollar?

    For more than eighty years, the U.S. dollar has stood at the center of the global financial system. International trade, energy markets, sovereign reserves, and global banking have all revolved around a dollar-based framework that gave the United States extraordinary economic and geopolitical influence. But what if that system is beginning to change? In this explosive episode, Christian Briggs examines one of the most important—and least understood—developments unfolding in the world today: the global race toward Central Bank Digital Currencies, or CBDCs, and the growing effort by China, BRICS nations, and central banks around the world to build alternative financial infrastructure outside traditional dollar channels. Christian breaks down how more than 130 countries are now researching, testing, or developing digital currencies, why projects such as China's digital yuan and the multi-nation mBridge platform have captured the attention of governments worldwide, and how these technologies could eventually transform the way money moves across borders. He explores the strategic implications of digital settlement systems, local-currency trade agreements, and the growing effort by nations to reduce dependence on existing financial networks. The episode also examines the broader geopolitical forces driving these developments, including the expansion of BRICS, central-bank gold accumulation, reserve diversification, and growing concerns about economic sovereignty. Why are governments buying gold at record levels? Why are nations investing billions into digital monetary systems? And what role could CBDCs, tokenized assets, and future payment networks play in the next phase of global economic competition? Along the way, Christian analyzes the rise of China's financial infrastructure, the European Union's push for a digital euro, Japan's exploration of next-generation monetary systems, and the growing debate over whether the world is moving toward a more fragmented financial order. This isn't simply a discussion about digital money. It's a discussion about power, infrastructure, national security, and the future architecture of the global economy. As governments race to build the payment systems of tomorrow, one question becomes increasingly important: If the world's financial rails are being rebuilt, who will control them—and what does that mean for America's future? This episode explores the answers.

    52 min

  6. May 21

    CHINA’S SECRET PLAN TO REPLACE THE DOLLAR — The New Global Order Being Built Beneath the Surface Part 1

    For fifty years, the U.S. dollar ruled the world. Oil was priced in dollars. Global trade flowed through dollars. Entire economies depended on the American financial system. But according to an explosive new geopolitical analysis, that era may be entering its final chapter. This two-part investigative documentary uncovers the hidden economic war now unfolding between the United States and China — a battle centered not on missiles or armies, but on critical minerals, rare earth elements, artificial intelligence, semiconductors, banking infrastructure, and the future of global money itself. How did China quietly gain control over the industrial foundations of the modern world? Why does Beijing now dominate the processing of the rare earth minerals required for AI systems, electric vehicles, F-35 fighter jets, satellites, missile systems, and the global semiconductor industry? And why are U.S. officials suddenly warning that “economic security IS national security”? This documentary follows the trail from Nixon and Kissinger’s 1970s petrodollar strategy to Belt and Road expansion, BRICS de-dollarization efforts, China’s growing control over strategic supply chains, and Washington’s dramatic new push for a critical minerals alliance. From the Panama Canal to Venezuela, from Project Vault to rare earth export restrictions, the story reveals how governments around the world are rapidly reorganizing around strategic resources and industrial power. At the center of the documentary is a terrifying possibility: that the world may be entering the early stages of a new monetary order — one no longer built solely around oil, but around minerals. Lithium. Copper. Silver. Rare earths. Semiconductors. The materials underneath artificial intelligence, defense systems, energy infrastructure, and the future global economy itself. As supply chains fracture and geopolitical tensions rise, the age of globalization may be ending. In its place, a new era is emerging — one defined by economic warfare, industrial nationalism, strategic chokepoints, and competing global blocs racing to control the technologies and resources that will shape the next century. This is not just a story about economics. It is a story about power. Who controls the future. Who controls the industrial systems underneath modern civilization. And whether the U.S. dollar can survive the most serious geopolitical challenge it has faced in generations. The old system is still standing. But beneath the surface… a new world order may already be under construction.

    51 min

  7. May 21

    CHINA’S SECRET PLAN TO REPLACE THE DOLLAR — The New Global Order Being Built Beneath the Surface Part 2

    Last week’s documentary explored how China quietly gained control over the industrial foundations of the modern world. From rare earth processing and strategic infrastructure to banking expansion and global supply chains, it examined how the balance of power may already be shifting beneath the surface of the global economy. But Part II goes much deeper. Because this is no longer just a story about China’s rise. It is a story about how the United States is responding. As the old globalization model begins to fracture, governments around the world are reorganizing around critical minerals, semiconductors, artificial intelligence infrastructure, industrial resilience, and the strategic resources powering the future economy itself. The race is no longer just about trade or manufacturing. It is about control over the systems modern civilization depends on to function. At the center of this episode is a terrifying possibility: that a new monetary architecture may already be emerging in real time. Not one built solely around oil… But one increasingly tied to minerals. Lithium. Copper. Rare earth elements. Silver. Semiconductors. Artificial intelligence systems. The physical materials underneath the next generation of technology are rapidly becoming the new strategic battleground of the global economy. This documentary explores Project Vault, the Critical Minerals Ministerial, the rise of “Pax Silica,” and the possibility that Washington is quietly attempting to build a second pillar underneath the U.S. dollar — a “mineral dollar” system designed to reinforce American dominance in a world where energy alone may no longer be enough. It examines why governments are suddenly stockpiling strategic materials, why central banks continue accumulating gold, why semiconductors have become matters of national security, and why supply chains are increasingly being treated like military infrastructure. At the same time, rival systems are beginning to emerge. BRICS expansion, local-currency trade agreements, gold accumulation, and alternative financial settlement systems are accelerating across the globe. The world may be moving away from a single dominant framework and toward a far more fragmented, competitive, and unstable era. This is not just a documentary about economics. It is a documentary about power. Who controls the materials. Who controls the infrastructure. Who controls the industrial systems underneath artificial intelligence, defense technology, semiconductors, and the future economy itself. Because beneath the surface of global finance… an entirely new world order may already be taking shape.

    51 min

  8. May 14

    “Trump’s China Gambit Changes Everything”: The Oil Power Shift, Taiwan Tensions, and the New Economic Battlefield

    In this wide-ranging interview, economist Christian Briggs breaks down the high-stakes economic and geopolitical implications of President Trump’s summit with China—arguing that the meeting could reshape trade, energy, and global power dynamics for years to come. At the center of the discussion is the growing competition between the United States and China, particularly around trade, technology, rare earth minerals, and energy. Briggs explains that while China spent decades securing strategic resources around the world—through partnerships, investments, and trade agreements—the U.S. is now rapidly moving to reclaim leverage and rebalance the playing field.  A major focus of the conversation is energy. According to Briggs, President Trump’s actions in the Middle East and Venezuela were not just about regional conflicts, but part of a broader strategy to disrupt China’s access to discounted oil supplies. By limiting oil flows from Iran and Venezuela, Briggs argues, the U.S. has forced China into a weaker position while simultaneously strengthening America’s own role as a global energy supplier. This energy shift, he says, has enormous implications. The U.S. is becoming increasingly dominant in oil and LNG exports, reviving what Briggs calls the “petrodollar” system and increasing global demand for the U.S. dollar. In his view, this gives America renewed financial and strategic leverage at a time when China had been trying to expand the influence of its own currency through BRICS partnerships and international trade agreements. The interview also dives into rare earth minerals and supply chains. Briggs acknowledges that China currently holds the advantage in many critical resources but believes the U.S. is rapidly catching up through new agreements and strategic partnerships. He frames this as a long-term competition where America is late to the game—but still capable of winning. Another key topic is Taiwan. Briggs suggests that while China may increase pressure on the region in the coming years, a full-scale invasion is unlikely in the near term. He argues that the U.S. is better prepared than many realize and that China would face enormous economic consequences if it escalated too far. Throughout the interview, Briggs maintains an optimistic tone about the U.S. economy. He predicts stronger dollar demand, increased business opportunities for American companies in China, and expanded economic growth tied to energy dominance and trade negotiations. Overall, the discussion presents a broader narrative: this is no longer just a trade dispute—it’s a global contest over resources, currency power, technology, and economic influence.

    16 min
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Ratings & Reviews

4.8
out of 5
17 Ratings

About

Broadcasting around the world, welcome to the Hard Asset Money show. Chaotic times call for fearless examination of the things that matter. Your wealth, your money, your future. This is the only show that will peel back the headline hysteria and get to the real issues that change the way you make money. No filters. No hidden agenda. Hosted by Christian Briggs.

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