Stablecoins have become a critical element of the cryptocurrency ecosystem, offering benefits such as value stability, efficient cross-border transactions, and enhanced access to Decentralized Finance (DeFi) and everyday payment systems.Their increasing adoption demonstrates their capacity to transform financial processes by enabling faster transactions, reducing fees through blockchain technology, and expanding financial inclusion for unbanked populations.However, these advantages come with significant national security concerns, including the risks of illicit financial activities, gaps in regulatory oversight, and potential disruptions to monetary policy.This article explores the implications of stablecoins for Nigeria's national security, focusing on their usage, regulatory challenges, and associated risks.It highlights vulnerabilities such as the potential for market manipulation, exploitation by criminal networks, and the use of stablecoins for money laundering, cyberattacks, and other illicit financial activities.The article also examines how these risks could undermine financial stability and national security, particularly in a context of limited regulatory capacity.By drawing lessons from global regulatory frameworks, the study stresses the urgent need for Nigeria to develop robust regulatory measures to address these risks and ensure financial stability.It calls for a balanced approach that promotes innovation while safeguarding the integrity of the financial system.
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Terrorism, Counterterrorism, and Political Violence
Aim: Critically investigating the possibility of adopting blockchain technology within the Nigerian pharmaceutical supply chain to curb the supply of counterfeit drugs. Study Design: The study is qualitative in nature and the primary data were fetched through interviews. Place and Duration of the Study: Conducted within Nigeria for a period of 3 months. Methodology: A qualitative method of data collection was adopted in the study, where some stakeholders were interviewed. The interviews were conducted with employees from different pharmaceutical companies and some drug regulatory agencies in Nigeria. Result: Firstly, this study has ascertained the current prevalence of counterfeit drugs and the reasons for that. The study discovers a very high level of counterfeit drugs and some reasons behind that. Secondly, this study has also found some barriers to blockchain adoption, including the fact that the level of awareness of blockchain technology among stakeholders within the Nigerian pharmaceutical supply chain and the regulatory agencies is very low. Conclusion: It was concluded that the efforts put in developing a viable COVID-19 vaccine could be undermined due to the current nature of the Nigerian pharmaceutical supply chain, the nature of porous borders in place, absence of an apparent drug distribution system, among others. This study also concludes that the supply chain's current structure needs more regulatory and structural interventions by the Nigerian government than blockchain technology. In other words, with the current nature of the supply chain, blockchain technology adoption would not be effective in delivering the said benefits reported by scholars because the atmosphere is not conducive for successful blockchain adoption.