Bibi and the Blockchain: When a Prime Minister Plans for Sanctions Evasion
Published . Updated .
Benjamin Netanyahu’s interest in cryptocurrency reveals both the continuing power of financial sanctions and the current limits of technological attempts to circumvent them.
Directly affected
- No company is named in this report.
Indirectly affected
- IBIT iShares Bitcoin Trust-11.5% 30d
iShares Bitcoin Trust: it follows bitcoin. Linked by “blockchain” (crypto) in this story.
- EIS iShares MSCI Israel ETF-1.2% 13d
iShares MSCI Israel ETF holds stocks listed in Israel, which this story is about (“netanyahu”).
- COIN Coinbase Global-28.7% 30d
Coinbase Global (finance services): crypto firms' revenue moves with crypto prices and rules. Linked by “blockchain” (crypto) in this story.
- MSTR Strategy-22.5% 30d
Strategy (finance services): crypto firms' revenue moves with crypto prices and rules. Linked by “blockchain” (crypto) in this story.
- MARA MARA Holdings-9.9% 8d
MARA Holdings (finance services): crypto firms' revenue moves with crypto prices and rules. Linked by “blockchain” (crypto) in this story.
- RIOT Riot Platforms-47.1% 30d
Riot Platforms (finance services): crypto firms' revenue moves with crypto prices and rules. Linked by “blockchain” (crypto) in this story.
Price reaction, T-5 to T+3
| Ticker | T-5 | T-3 | T-1 | T0 | T+1 | T+2 | T+3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IBIT | +4.24% | +6.39% | base | +1.57% | after close | after close | after close |
| EISNo price data for this ticker | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| COIN | +11.38% | +13.37% | base | -1.51% | after close | after close | after close |
| MSTRNo price data for this ticker | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| MARANo price data for this ticker | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| RIOTNo price data for this ticker | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Closing-price change versus T-1, the last close before the story. T0 to T+3 fill in after each market close. Prices: Alpaca IEX.
Market Call
Think this story will push the stock up or down over the next three trading days? Make a free call and see what other readers think. Points are play money with no cash value.
Bibi and the Blockchain: When a Prime Minister Plans for Sanctions Evasion Royal United Services Institute (RUSI)
Price since this story was published: iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF (IBIT)
| Company | When | Move | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coinbase Global (COIN) | that day | -1.51% | still updating |
| Coinbase Global (COIN) | three days earlier | +13.37% | final price |
| Coinbase Global (COIN) | five days earlier | +11.38% | final price |
| iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF (IBIT) | that day | +1.57% | still updating |
| iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF (IBIT) | three days earlier | +6.39% | final price |
| iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF (IBIT) | five days earlier | +4.24% | final price |
Trades by members of Congress and officials in the stocks in this story
- Rep. Rohit Khanna bought Coinbase Global (COIN) (held by a spouse), worth $1,001 - $15,000 on 4 Sep 2026. That is 59 days before publication. Filed 7 Oct 2026. View the filing.
- Rep. Gilbert Cisneros sold Coinbase Global (COIN), worth $1,001 - $15,000 on 18 Aug 2026. That is 76 days before publication. Filed 10 Sep 2026. View the filing.
- Donald J Trump, an executive branch official, sold Coinbase Global (COIN), worth $1,001 - $15,000 on 10 Aug 2026. That is 84 days before publication. Filed 8 Oct 2026. View the filing.
- Donald J Trump, an executive branch official, bought Strategy (MSTR), worth $1,001 - $15,000 on 10 Aug 2026. That is 84 days before publication. Filed 8 Oct 2026. View the filing.
Public disclosure filings, not a recommendation. The filing link is the source document. News use of these reports still sits under 5 U.S.C. § 13107(c).
Who gains and who loses around iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF (IBIT)
Companies tied to this story
- IBIT iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF
In “Bibi and the Blockchain: When a Prime Minister Plans for Sanctions Evasion,” iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF (IBIT) is linked, with no stored direction, medium confidence. Reason on file: iShares Bitcoin Trust: it follows bitcoin. Linked by “blockchain” (crypto) in this story
- COIN Coinbase Global
In “Bibi and the Blockchain: When a Prime Minister Plans for Sanctions Evasion,” Coinbase Global (COIN) is linked, with no stored direction, medium confidence. Reason on file: Coinbase Global (finance services): crypto firms' revenue moves with crypto prices and rules. Linked by “blockchain” (crypto) in this story
- MSTR Strategy
For “Bibi and the Blockchain: When a Prime Minister Plans for Sanctions Evasion,” Strategy (MSTR) is linked, with no stored direction, medium confidence. Reason on file: Strategy (finance services): crypto firms' revenue moves with crypto prices and rules. Linked by “blockchain” (crypto) in this story
- MARA MARA Holdings
For “Bibi and the Blockchain: When a Prime Minister Plans for Sanctions Evasion,” MARA Holdings (MARA) is linked, with no stored direction, medium confidence. Reason on file: MARA Holdings (finance services): crypto firms' revenue moves with crypto prices and rules. Linked by “blockchain” (crypto) in this story
- RIOT Riot Platforms
Riot Platforms (RIOT) is linked, with no stored direction, medium confidence in the 2 Nov 2026 story “Bibi and the Blockchain: When a Prime Minister Plans for Sanctions Evasion.” Reason on file: Riot Platforms (finance services): crypto firms' revenue moves with crypto prices and rules. Linked by “blockchain” (crypto) in this story
iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF (IBIT)
iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF (IBIT) is the company in “Bibi and the Blockchain: When a Prime Minister Plans for Sanctions Evasion,” the 2 Nov 2026 this story story.
What ties iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF (IBIT) to the headline is this: iShares Bitcoin Trust: it follows bitcoin. Linked by “blockchain” (crypto) in this story
A second company, Coinbase Global (COIN), is listed for a different reason: Coinbase Global (finance services): crypto firms' revenue moves with crypto prices and rules. Linked by “blockchain” (crypto) in this story
Dates and price levels for iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF (IBIT)
COIN traded between 136.89 and 192.80 across 20 sessions. The latest close on file is 143.28. IBIT traded between 43.03 and 49.12 across 20 sessions. The latest close on file is 43.36. MSTR traded between 124.29 and 168.72 across 20 sessions. The latest close on file is 130.53.
How strong the case is around iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF (IBIT)
40 out of 100Price not final
“Bibi and the Blockchain: When a Prime Minister Plans for Sanctions Evasion” scores 40 out of 100. The score uses 1 sources, and 5 linked companies. The price is not final yet.