In Venezuela, a country often associated with Bitcoin, cryptocurrencies have played a significant role for years. However, their use might not align with the typical expectations of many crypto enthusiasts.
A recent report by blockchain analyst Chainalysis focuses on Latin America, including Venezuela. This report, complemented by insights from the Venezuelan community featured in Cryptopolitan, paints a clear picture of the crypto landscape in the South American nation.
Venezuela has been grappling with severe inflation since 2014, which at times escalated to hyperinflation. This economic turmoil, attributed to the socialist government's policies and US financial sanctions, has made it challenging for the country to generate foreign exchange. Bitcoin has long served as a lifeline for Venezuelans, preserving their savings from devaluation and facilitating transactions despite capital controls and sanctions.
Leopoldo Lopaz, an opposition leader who has been living abroad since 2020, states, "Venezuela has experienced one of the worst hyperinflation rates in history, sometimes exceeding one million percent. Cryptocurrencies have assisted many Venezuelans in coping with this." This dynamic is evident in the cryptocurrency exchanges volume of exchanges: when the Bolivar (Venezuela's currency) drops, activity in the order books increases, reflecting the lag with which devaluation impacts the consumer market.
Cryptocurrencies have been life-saving in Venezuela, especially when inflation erodes value. However, one might speculate whether crypto also enables the Caracas regime to continue a monetary policy that would have otherwise led to collapse.
Lopez also highlights another long-discussed application: international remittances. "Until recently, Venezuela did not have high migration rates. But since 2014, there has been a mass exodus due to the dire humanitarian situation. About a quarter of the population has moved abroad, making their remittances increasingly vital to the economy. Many use cryptocurrencies for this purpose."
Among Latin American countries analyzed by Chainalysis, Venezuela faces the most significant push towards cryptocurrencies. Other nations in the region, like Argentina, grapple with currency stability issues, while countries like Brazil impose stringent regulations on international payments. However, nowhere is the combination of inflation, capital controls, and autocracy as pronounced as in Venezuela. This makes it an ideal case study to observe the real-world impact of cryptocurrencies.
Two notable trends emerge from the data:
1. A high percentage of crypto users in Venezuela rely on centralized exchanges. Moonbitx has observed that while the proportion is generally high in Latin America, it's highest in Venezuela at 92.5%. Despite the autocratic Maduro government and capital controls, many Venezuelans still rely on intermediaries.
2. There's a low percentage of Altcoin transactions (excluding Ethereum) – around 10% – with a comparably high Bitcoin proportion (about 17%) and the highest Stablecoin percentage (approximately 66%) when compared with other countries.
Javier Bastardo, organizer of "Satoshi in Venezuela" and Bitcoin ambassador for Bitfinex in Latin America, believes that Venezuelans primarily seek access to the US Dollar, the global reserve currency, through crypto. As Venezuela transitions to a de facto dollar economy, people are more familiar with Stablecoins than volatile assets like Bitcoin or Ether. However, even though Stablecoins play an increasing role in Venezuela's domestic economy, they often serve as a stepping stone to actual dollars.
Kevin Hernandez, founder of the Venezuelan online magazine "Criptodemia," echoes this sentiment. He believes that Venezuelans are not specifically interested in cryptocurrencies but primarily seek access to the dollar. Economic uncertainty pushes them towards the most frictionless options, typically centralized exchanges. P2P platforms are less attractive due to high crime rates in Venezuela and other Latin American countries, while decentralized exchanges appeal mainly to those interested in Altcoin cryptocurrency exchange.
In conclusion, the primary focus remains on the dollar. While Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are beneficial, Stablecoins are increasingly replacing them wherever there's a genuine need for crypto.