Venezuelans Are Buying Bitcoin to Purchase Basic Goods, Treat Cancer
Venezuela’s national currency Bolivar Fuerte is rapidly losing value amidst hyperinflation. The official FX value of the Venezuelan bolivar is $1 to 9.95 VEF but in actuality, in the country’s black market, local residents are paying around 5,000 VEF for $1. To avoid the devaluation of bolivar and acquire necessary daily goods, Venezuelans have started to rely on Bitcoin to finance their expenditures.
By local exchange rates, 100 bolivar is equivalent to $0.02. The country’s highest denomination banknote was 100 bolivar, but the government demonetized it earlier this week. As a result, the Venezuelan economy and monetary system experienced turmoil as people struggled to obtain cash to finance daily living.
Currently, the largest denomination banknote is the 50 bolivar note, which is worth $0.01. So, for Venezuelans to purchase a slice of bread or lunch, they will need 200 of the 50 bolivar banknotes to purchase lunch at around $4.
Nathan Crooks, Bloomberg News chief in Venezuela, revealed that people carry stacks of cash in order to purchase basic goods like food, toiletries, etc.
https://cointelegraph.com/news/venezuelans-are-buying-bitcoin-to-purchase-basic-goods-treat-cancer