The U.S. just locked down a major oil play with Venezuela—$500 billion deal, 31 million barrels flowing north, but here's the catch: every dollar hits a U.S.-controlled account. Translation? Washington's now gatekeeping Venezuela's oil revenues, controlling which tankers get clearance to move product. This isn't just energy politics—it's financial architecture. When governments weaponize settlement infrastructure and capital controls like this, it ripples through markets. Commodity traders and macro funds are already pricing in supply constraints. For anyone tracking geopolitical risk premiums and how state-level capital freezes reshape market microstructure, this Venezuela precedent signals a bigger shift: financial sovereignty is becoming the new battleground. Worth monitoring how this affects oil price discovery and whether alternative settlement mechanisms gain traction.