As Venezuela’s local currency, the bolivar, continues to lose value, a growing number of people are turning to USDT to protect their purchasing power. This surge in demand for USDT, especially on the Binance P2P market, has driven the stablecoin’s price sharply higher against the bolivar in a short period.
A widening gap on Binance P2P
According to data from p2p.Army, the exchange rate of USDT against the bolivar in Venezuela has been steadily climbing from mid May to mid June. On Binance P2P, USDT jumped from trading around 690 bolivars to well over 800. Although USDT remains pegged 1:1 with the US dollar, this price rise fundamentally reflects the weakness of the bolivar.
Binance stands as one of the world’s largest cryptocurrency platforms for peer to peer trading, enabling users to transact directly with each other. In Venezuela, Binance P2P has become the most widely used marketplace for such deals.
Crypto analyst Hever Castro highlighted that the Venezuelan Central Bank and local banks have been unable to meet the rising demand for dollars through their trading desks, pushing citizens to hedge their savings in USDT markets instead.
The report explains that access to physical or official dollar channels remains restricted in Venezuela, forcing small businesses and local vendors into fiercer competition for scarce US dollars. The widening gap between the number of dollars distributed via formal banking channels and the bolivar liquidity in circulation has further intensified pressures on the local currency.
Bolivar supply expands at record pace
Data from the Central Bank of Venezuela reveals that, for the week ending June 5, the volume of bolivars in circulation reached 2.17 trillion. This marks a 23 percent increase from the 1.76 trillion recorded in May. Since the start of the year, the bolivar supply has soared by 131 percent, far outstripping the increase in USDT priced in bolivars.
Banks often close their digital sales systems once their daily dollar quotas are exhausted, effectively locking out ordinary buyers from official markets. As a result, alternative venues like Binance P2P have become increasingly attractive for those trying to preserve their savings.
Central Bank’s new limits spark criticism
On June 15, the Venezuelan Central Bank announced new restrictions: individuals can now purchase a maximum of 1,000 dollars per month through the banking system, with an annual cap of 12,000 dollars and a weekly electronic transaction limit of 500 dollars.
Economists argue these measures may intensify, rather than relieve, market pressures. Economist Asdrúbal Oliveros noted that such restrictions would likely shift more demand to the parallel market, where Binance P2P plays a leading role.
According to the article, the official exchange rate for 1 US dollar hovers around 590 bolivars. However, the price gap between the official and P2P markets has widened to nearly 35 percent. Some independent sellers in Caracas have reportedly been quoting up to 1,200 bolivars per dollar.
Venezuelans have long switched between bolivars, dollars, and cryptocurrencies in response to currency instability. A common practice involves buying dollars from banks and reselling them at higher prices via P2P platforms, taking advantage of arbitrage opportunities. The latest regulations aim to restrict this cycle, but without increasing the dollar supply, tighter controls may only drive more people back to the P2P market.
