With global economic alliances shifting and new threats emerging, will the U.S. maintain its dominance in an increasingly complex world?

From cryptocurrency to chips to cyberterrorist threats, the battle for global dominance is no longer just fought on the battlefield—it’s playing out in markets, boardrooms, and cyberspace. In this episode, Juan Zarate sits down with Nicholas Brathwaite, founding Managing Partner at Celesta Capital.

We explore how the U.S. has used its economic dominance as a powerful weapon—and whether countries like China and Russia are now using the same playbook to push back. Juan shares insights on the weaponization of the dollar, how financial crime networks are evolving in the digital age, and why strategies around cryptocurrency could either threaten or reinforce U.S. economic power.

The conversation dives into the intersection of technology, economic, and national security strategy, tackling key issues like cyber threats, semiconductor supply chains, and the growing role of AI in financial security.

On FINCast Episode 39, Juan Zarate sits down with K2 Integrity’s Katya Hazard and Amir Fadavi to discuss the state of Russia-related sanctions and to explore what has worked and what may require further coordinated efforts to curtail Russia’s ambitions and war power. While certain “sanctions fatigue” starts to settle in, it is more important than ever to consider real costs of sanctions circumvention, including the very real risks of a sanctions designation of persons disregarding US, UK, or EU trade restrictions.

On FINCast Episode 38, Juan Zarate speaks with Coinbase Chief Policy Officer Faryar Shirzad to discuss the state of the crypto environment, the challenges for the future of the industry, and the prospects for regulatory clarity in the digital asset space.

On FINCast Episode 37, Juan Zarate sits down with Will Inboden, K2 Integrity’s Michele Malvesti, and Farah Pandith to discuss the upcoming book, Hand-Off: The Foreign Policy George W. Bush Passed to Barack Obama. Tune in for a look back at the foreign policy transition between the Bush and Obama administrations from a unique group of national security and foreign policy thinkers.

On FINCast Episode 36, Juan Zarate hosts a roundtable discussion with K2 Integrity’s Mariano Federici, Bryan Stirewalt, and Emma Walker to discuss what they are watching for 2023 in the financial crime and sanctions landscape. Tune in to hear what some of the most renowned senior regulators in the world are following in the regulatory and risk environment for the year ahead.

On FINCast Episode 35, Juan Zarate interviews K2 Integrity’s own Bryan Stirewalt, a renowned, global financial regulator with 35 years of U.S. and international experience. Juan and Bryan discuss the challenges for regulators and the financial system in a quickly evolving digital financial and commercial world. They explore how regulators should be managing the risks inherent in the crypto ecosystem, the complexities of sanctions implementation, and the growing regulatory attention on ESG. As a global regulatory thought leader, Bryan provides reflective insights as the financial system faces a myriad of challenges in a more fractious geopolitical environment.

Stuart Levey, the first ever Under Secretary of the US Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, joins his former colleague Juan Zarate, Global Co-Managing Partner, for a one-on-one conversation about Levey’s career and insights on some of the most important financial integrity topics of the day – from Russia sanctions to the state of the crypto industry. Levey brings deep experience from his storied career and in holding critical positions at some of the leading financial institutions in the world, including as Chief Legal Officer for HSBC and CEO of Diem. He shares a lifetime of lessons in financial integrity in a wide-ranging conversation with Zarate in this episode of FINCast.

Amidst the fast-moving events with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, FINCast recorded an episode on February 25, 2022, to examine developments and the role of sanctions in this seismic and complex geopolitical event. On FINCast Episode 33, Juan Zarate interviews Foundation for the Defense of Democracies’ Brad Bowman and K2 Integrity’s Katya Hazard about the situation on the ground, the weight and importance of sanctions as a principal tool in response, and what sanctions and financial measures against Russia mean for the ongoing conflict.

With the international community now moving to isolate Russia from the financial and commercial system, this FINCast provides a snapshot of events and insights into how sanctions have been used as a tool of economic statecraft, whether to apply a maximalist sanctions approach to Russian aggression, and how the international community should respond next if sanctions cannot deter further aggression.

Few industries saw as much buzz as the world of cryptocurrency, stablecoins, and digital payments in 2021. Beyond the hype, what does the digital assets economy look like, and how are regulators and policymakers treating the crypto ecosystem? What does the future of the crypto economy, stablecoins and the financial system look like? On FINCast Episode 32, Juan Zarate interviews Circle’s Dante Disparte and Mandeep Walia about the state of the digital assets economy and regulation in the space, while also diving deep on the role of stablecoins like USDC and Circle’s place in the ecosystem. As new technology evolves and adoption grows, Juan, Dante, and Mandeep discuss how the risks of the digital assets economy need to be managed and how stablecoins and digital payments can help promote financial inclusion, transparency, and integrity. Tune in to this episode to hear more about the latest trends and insights on the ongoing public debate—and how the U.S. can maintain a competitive edge in the digital currency race.

The Pandora Papers: As the world absorbs the explosive revelations in the mass amounts of leaked financial documents, what do the Pandora Papers reveal about the way global elites move and hide money in the international financial system and how regulations and policies for financial transparency are working or overpowered? On this episode of FINCast, K2 Integrity’s Juan Zarate hosts Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Greg Miller from The Washington Post, discussing Greg’s in-depth reporting and analysis of the Pandora Papers’ exposure of the challenges to financial transparency, good governance, corruption, and national security. While the reaction to illicit activity and financial secrecy ripples throughout the world, fundamental questions remain: will these revelations prompt action to address high-level corruption and financial crimes, accelerate regulatory changes to ensure transparency and accountability, and spur action to address growing economic inequity and safeguard the integrity of the global financial system?