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Venezuela: New Bitcoin Trading Record as Biggest Bank Embraces Petro

Cointelegraph.com News

Bank of Venezuela has reportedly added a prototype wallet to customers’ online banking accounts.

Venezuela’s largest bank, Bank of Venezuela (BDV), has added support for the country’s controversial Petro digital currency. 

Bank of Venezuela hints at crypto wallet

As cryptocurrency news outlet Decrypt reports on Sept. 13, BDV clients have discovered a new section in their online banking account dedicated to cryptocurrencies

At present, the publication states, the only crypto wallet only caters to Petro, but as the section appears under development, speculation suggests more tokens may follow.

Petro, launched by the Venezuelan government, is notionally pegged to the country’s oil reserves. The subject of criticism from the outset, Petro subsequently faced international sanctions after suspicions arose the government was using it to evade existing restrictions.

Bitcoin trading hits 120 billion bolivars

As Cointelegrpah reported, Venezuela is becoming increasingly reliant on decentralized cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin (BTC), as other alternatives prove unreliable. 

Huge inflation affecting the national currency, the Sovereign Bolivar (VES), continues to produce trading records on P2P bitcoin exchange Localbitcoins.

For the week ending Sept. 7, the most recent period for which data is available, Venezuelans traded over 120 billion VES for Bitcoin.

Localbitcoins weekly trading volumes for Sovereign Bolivar (VES)

Localbitcoins weekly trading volumes for Sovereign Bolivar (VES). Source: Coin Dance

BDV has yet to issue public comments on its plans, Decrypt adds, which would nonetheless make it the first Venezuelan bank to support cryptocurrency officially. 

September 13, 2019 at 05:26PM Posted by cointelegraph

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