One Island. One Conflict. The Domino That Can Melt the Dollar

The dollar isn’t just a currency. It’s a story we’ve all agreed to believe.

And like all stories, it depends on credibility.

For decades, that credibility came from strength: the biggest economy, the deepest markets, the safest debt.

But underneath that narrative is a fragile reality.

The U.S. dollar—like the system it anchors—now depends on something America doesn’t control.

That something is Taiwan.

Not because of ideology. Not because of democracy.

But because of chips.

Taiwan produces nearly 90% of the world’s most advanced semiconductors.

These aren’t just parts for smartphones or smartwatches. These chips power:

• The servers that run Wall Street

• The systems that launch U.S. missiles

• The logistics behind Treasury auctions

• Even the embedded tech inside U.S. dollars themselves, as they increasingly go digital

Semiconductors are the real infrastructure of modern power.

And Taiwan is their irreplaceable hub.

So What Happens If That Hub Goes Dark?

A blockade. A misfire. A political standoff that halts Taiwan’s chip exports for even two weeks.

The result?

• Factories in America stall.

• Global companies slash forecasts.

• Supply chains choke.

• Markets panic.

• And the U.S. government scrambles to backstop it all—again.

Only this time, it’s different. Because the Fed can’t print chips.

And the world knows it.

The Real Risk Isn’t a War. It’s a Confidence Collapse.

The U.S. dollar holds value because people believe it will buy things tomorrow.

Things like security. Stability. Access to global trade. Technology.

But remove semiconductors from that equation? You’ve just removed the oxygen from the modern economy.

A war over Taiwan wouldn’t just disrupt electronics.

It would fracture the illusion of dollar permanence.

Because if America can’t protect the source of its economic lifeblood, why should the rest of the world trust its currency to lead the future?

Empires Don’t Die From Bullets. They Die When the Money Breaks.

Not all at once.

But slowly, then suddenly.

And if Taiwan goes offline, that "suddenly" gets a lot closer.

The dollar isn’t backed by gold. It’s not backed by oil anymore, either.

It’s backed by belief—and semiconductors are now part of that belief system.

If they go down, so does the narrative that the U.S. can always deliver.

That’s how currency regimes end.

Not in technical default—but in moral default.

Until next time,
Death of the Dollar

P.S. Did you catch The 3 Tricks They Use to Steal From You (That You’ll Never See in the Headlines)?