The Bank of England is used to planning for wars, pandemics, and market crashes. Now it is preparing for something even stranger. The possibility that the United States could officially confirm the existence of aliens. Yes, aliens. According to recent reporting, the UK’s central bank is being urged to prepare for a financial crisis that could erupt if the world learns that we are not alone.
This idea sounds like the plot of a late night sci-fi movie, but it is being discussed seriously inside one of the world’s most conservative financial institutions.
Why the Bank of England Is Taking This Seriously
The concern comes from Helen McCaw, a former senior analyst in financial security at the Bank of England. McCaw spent a decade helping the bank think through theoretical but potentially catastrophic economic scenarios. She has now added alien disclosure to that list.
McCaw wrote directly to Andrew Bailey, the governor of the Bank of England, urging him to put contingency plans in place in case the US government confirms the existence of extraterrestrial life. Her warning was reported by The Times and later echoed by Newsweek and other outlets.
Her argument is simple, if unsettling. Financial markets depend on confidence, predictability, and shared assumptions about how the world works. A sudden announcement that advanced non-human intelligence exists could shatter all three at once.
McCaw warned that markets could experience extreme price swings driven by panic, euphoria, or both. Investors might struggle to value assets if familiar economic models suddenly feel irrelevant. She said that if indisputable evidence were released, financial instability could emerge within hours.
In her words, there could be “extreme price volatility in financial markets due to catastrophising or euphoria, and a collapse in confidence if market participants feel uncertain on how to price assets using any of the familiar methods.”
She also raised the idea of ontological shock, the psychological impact of learning that humanity is not the top intelligence on the block. That shock, she argued, could spill over into unrest, loss of trust in institutions, and rapid shifts in where people park their money.
From Pounds and Gold to Bitcoin and Beyond
One scenario McCaw outlined involves a rush away from traditional, government-backed assets. If people begin to question the legitimacy or authority of governments, they may also question fiat currencies.
She suggested there could be a move toward alternative stores of value such as gold or digital currencies like Bitcoin. As she put it, digital currencies may appear appealing if people lose trust in government-backed assets and power structures.
In short, when aliens land, some investors may decide that crypto suddenly feels comforting.
Why the United States Is Central to the Concern
McCaw’s warning is tied closely to developments in the United States. She believes the US government is already partway through a multiyear process of declassifying information related to Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena.
She pointed to the possibility that the White House could confirm the existence of technologically advanced non-human intelligence. President Donald Trump has previously indicated that his administration may declassify information related to extraterrestrial life, adding fuel to speculation.
If such a confirmation came from Washington, it would not stay a domestic issue. Global markets would react instantly.
The story quickly went viral. Podcast host Mario Nawfal summed up the public reaction with disbelief, writing that a former Bank of England analyst was warning of a financial crisis caused by aliens.
Researcher and speaker Holly Wood defended McCaw, emphasizing her credentials and experience in assessing state-level risk. She argued that the real question is no longer whether alien life exists, but what happens when it is confirmed.
On social media, some commentators treated the news as surreal but serious, while others embraced the absurdity. One popular post declared, in all caps, that the global financial system is preparing for aliens and insisted that this was not a meme.
Is This Really Necessary or Completely Bonkers
To be clear, no aliens have been confirmed, no UFOs have landed on Threadneedle Street, and the Bank of England is not stockpiling ray-gun resistant vaults. This is about contingency planning, the same kind central banks do for low-probability, high-impact events.
Still, the image of sober bankers stress-testing the economy for alien disclosure is hard not to laugh at. Interest rates, inflation, unemployment, and now extraterrestrials. Central banking has officially entered its sci-fi phase.
Behind the tongue-in-cheek headlines is a serious message. Financial systems are fragile because they are built on human belief and trust. Anything that radically disrupts how people see authority, power, and reality itself could have real economic consequences.
Whether aliens exist or not, the fact that this scenario is being discussed shows how uncertain and anxious the modern world has become. When even central bankers are gaming out extraterrestrial shockwaves, it might be time to admit that reality already feels a little unstable.
And if aliens do show up, at least the Bank of England wants to make sure the ATMs still work.
FAM Editor: I’m betting that the Bank of England is pooping bricks to be associated with this story. Everybody thinks about this, but it’s not good to say it out loud.
