Venezuela | Crypto

Earlier this month, the US began intercepting and seizing tankers carrying Venezuelan crude, with a first seizure reported around Dec. 10 and a second interception by Dec. 20. By Dec. 22, US officials said a third vessel was being pursued near Venezuelan waters. Caracas responded with an emergency law imposing prison terms of up to […] The post Gold hits $4,400 as Venezuela blockade bites, but a quiet ownership shift is changing how winners trade appeared first on CryptoSlate.

Venezuela’s worsening economy and a weakening bolívar are driving wider stablecoin adoption, TRM Labs says. The post Stablecoin Use in Venezuela Set to Rise as Bolívar Weakens: TRM Labs appeared first on Cryptonews.

The crypto ecosystem in Venezuela is a product of ongoing economic collapse and international sanctions pressure, according to the TRM Labs team. Venezuelans are already heavily reliant on blockchain technology for banking after suffering through a decade of economic pressures; however, usage is likely to keep growing if conditions worsen in the South American country, blockchain intelligence firm TRM Labs says. As regional and geopolitical tensions continue to rise, driven in part by US-Venezuela tensions, causing macroeconomic instability and the bolívar’s continued devaluation, the TRM Labs team predicted in a report on Thursday that demand for stablecoins as both a store of value and a medium of exchange will rise. At the same time, regulatory ambiguity and continued uncertainty surrounding the country’s crypto regulator, SUNACRIP’s, authority and enforcement capacity, and eroding trust in traditional banking infrastructure could prolong the population’s dependence and drive more usage.  Read more

An informal peer-to-peer crypto economy is now central to Venezuela’s economy, and should be considered as President Trump ratchets up tensions with the country, a new TRM report says.

Venezuela turns to USDT as hyperinflation bites, with merchants pegging prices to Binance P2P dollar rates. With inflation at 229%, daily prices in Venezuela are set in USDT “Binance dollars,” usually at live P2P rates. Three dollar rates exist (official, parallel and P2P), but merchants mostly follow the P2P quote. The government tolerates dollar-backed crypto in exchanges, though it hasn’t legalized dollarization. Read more

As inflation hits 229%, stablecoins like USDt are overtaking Venezuela’s bolívar for everyday payments, from groceries to salaries. Stablecoins like USDt have become the de facto currency for millions of people navigating a crumbling financial system in Venezuela as the country’s annual inflation rate surges to 229%. Once limited to crypto-savvy users, Tether’s USDt (USDT), often referred to locally as “Binance dollars,” is now widely used across Venezuela for everything from groceries and condo fees to salaries and vendor payments, Mauricio Di Bartolomeo, who fled Venezuela before co-founding Ledn in 2018, told Cointelegraph. The bolívar, Venezuela’s national currency, is largely dead in daily commerce. Hyperinflation, strict capital controls, and a fractured exchange rate landscape drive a growing preference for stablecoins over cash or local bank transfers. Read more

From corner shops to big retailers, Venezuelans are embracing stablecoins as inflation soars and the bolívar loses over 70% of its value. Cryptocurrencies are becoming a core part of the economy in Venezuela as citizens turn to digital assets to shield themselves from a collapsing currency and tighter government controls. From small family stores to large retail chains, shops across the country now accept crypto through platforms such as Binance and Airtm. Some businesses even use stablecoins to pay employees, while universities have begun offering courses dedicated to digital assets. “There’s lots of places accepting it now,” shopper Victor Sousa, who paid for phone accessories with USDt (USDT), told the Financial Times. “The plan is to one day have my savings in crypto.” Read more