Origin Dictionary / OD-088
Sanctions
A country you've never visited can still affect your payment.
01Dictionary Meaning
Sanctions are restrictions imposed by governments or international bodies on dealings with specified countries, people, organizations or sectors. Financial sanctions can freeze assets or prohibit transactions.
02What People Think
"That's geopolitics. I'm just trying to pay someone."
03What’s Underneath
A cross-border payment may pass through a bank in a third country. That bank has its own legal obligations.
If a relevant restriction applies, the payment may be blocked or rejected. Other transfers may face additional checks while a bank establishes whether they are permitted.
Your app shows a destination. Behind it sit institutions operating under different rules. One tap on your screen can depend on several institutions saying yes. The route matters alongside the sender and recipient.
04The Game
Whose rules does your payment meet on its way, and who has the power to stop it?
05One Line
Your money travels through other people's rules.
Explore M6 Library
M6Global Nodes & Geopolitical Finance
Follow the power behind the payment.
Library collection forthcoming. Explore the matrix and its Dictionary entries.
References 1
- Basic Information on OFAC and Sanctions
US Treasury OFAC
The payment route is illustrative; it does not mean every international transfer is subject to one country's rules.
← Back to Dictionary