Economist Asdrúbal Oliveros reports Venezuela now collects about 80% of its crude oil sales revenue in Tether’s USDT. The shift underscores growing use of stablecoins for cross-border energy payments amid FX constraints and sanctions.
U.S. designation of Venezuela as a terrorist organization and a blockade of sanctioned oil tankers pushed oil higher and sparked risk-off selling that sent BTC and equities lower. Markets were further rattled by a Sept. 2 strike that killed nine on a suspected drug-running Venezuelan vessel.