Violet Vallaya
Amid escalating geopolitical tensions and enduring financial constraints, Venezuela’s state-owned oil company, PDVSA, is eyeing a strategic shift toward using cryptocurrency as a potential workaround to circumvent the latest sanctions imposed by the United States.
The move underscores PDVSA’s ongoing struggle to navigate the intricate web of international sanctions that have severely hampered its ability to conduct global transactions, Reuters reported.
PDVSA, long in the crosshairs of international sanctions due to its close affiliations with the Venezuelan government, finds itself grappling with mounting obstacles in accessing foreign bank accounts, a critical lifeline for conducting international business.
Over the past year, the company has been slowly moving toward accepting Tether (USDT) as payment for oil. The Shib Daily has contacted PDVSA for comment and will update this report if a response is received.
Tether represents a category of cryptocurrencies known as stablecoins, engineered to maintain a stable value by tethering their worth to a designated asset, typically the U.S. dollar.
In the case of USDT, each token is backed by an equivalent reserve of U.S. dollars, assuring stability amid the volatility rampant in traditional cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin.
Venezuela, known to possess the largest proven oil reserves globally, has long grappled with a myriad of economic tribulations, including hyperinflation, political turmoil, and stringent capital controls. In response to these challenges, Venezuelans have increasingly turned to alternative financial avenues, with cryptocurrencies emerging as a prominent refuge.
The significance of stablecoins, particularly in the Venezuelan context, cannot be overstated. With hyperinflation reaching unprecedented levels, conventional currencies have proven unreliable, propelling the adoption of cryptocurrencies as a means of preserving value. While Bitcoin is well-known, its volatility makes it risky for storing value. Stablecoins pegged to stable assets like the dollar, offer a more secure alternative in this context.
Venezuela’s relationship with cryptocurrencies traces back to the onset of hyperinflation in the country in 2014, which precipitated a widespread erosion of faith in the national currency. Subsequently, cryptocurrencies, notably Bitcoin, emerged as a beacon of financial stability, with platforms like LocalBitcoins playing a pivotal role in fostering their adoption within the nation’s borders.
However, despite the initial enthusiasm, Venezuela’s official foray into cryptocurrency in 2018 failed to gain widespread traction, leading to its eventual discontinuation early this year.
