Bolivia’s state-owned energy firm YPFB is planning to use cryptocurrency to pay for energy imports, according to a March 13 report from Reuters. The move comes as the South American nation faces a shortage of foreign currency reserves and a dwindling supply of domestic gas production.
A spokesperson for YPFB said that a system had been put in place to use cryptocurrency to purchase energy imports after the government approved the use of digital assets to meet the country’s demand. While YPFB has not used the system yet, it plans to do so.
The report does not reveal what cryptocurrency will be used for the payments. Stablecoins, which are digital assets pegged to fiat currency, are often used to make cross-border transactions, though it is unclear if that will be the case in Bolivia.
The fuel shortage in Bolivia