The investment firm said nation-states and central banks are increasingly turning to assets like Bitcoin and gold as alternative settlement systems outside of US control. Recent moves by the Iranian government to Bitcoin for oil tolls as gold overtakes US dollar assets in global central bank reserves signals a “shift away from dollar-based systems,” according to crypto financial services company Fidelity Digital Investments. Tehran's acceptance of BTC for oil shipments passing through the Strait of Hormuz represents the emergence of “alternative settlement mechanisms,” according to the company’s just-released "Six Key Trends Shaping Digital Assets in 2026" report. Accepting Bitcoin for shipping toll payments is evidence that the biggest cryptocurrency could replace the US dollar as the global reserve currency because of its neutral, confiscation-resistant and decentralized properties, supporters of BTC say. At the same time, central banks' demand for gold remains “strong” despite its 20% decline from the all-time high of about $5,600 per ounce reached in January. The report said: Gold overtakes US dollars in central bank reserves. Kitco Related: US law firm files motion requesting redistribution of $344M USDt linked to Iran In May 2025, Iranian media reported that the government of Iran was considering a maritime shipping insurance model for oil vessels crossing the Strait that would be payable in Bitcoin and “settled at the speed of blockchain.”