|

The Petro cryptocurrency will not be backed as much as previously thought

Venezuela's cryptocurrency the Petro will not be backed as much as previously thought by physical oil.

The President of the nation Maduro said that the 30 million barrels are ready for commercialization. Much less than the earlier statements of 5 billion barrels.

The project was announced back in 2018 and it was made in order to avoid sanctions put in place by the US and a few other governments.

It was initially said that Petro would be backed by 5 billion oil barrels, gold and other precious metals that can be found in Venezuela.

The President had been promoting the coin after inflation reached high levels and international pressures began to take its toll on the home currency bolivar.

At the same time, it was not working due to the adoption of Bitcoin and other major cryptocurrencies. 

Now that Maduro has under-delivered on the backing it will be left to see if the project works or if in time more commodities will be used to secure its value.

Author

Rajan Dhall, MSTA

Rajan Dhall is an experienced market analyst, who has been trading professionally since 2007 managing various funds producing exceptional returns.

More from Rajan Dhall, MSTA
Share:

Markets move fast. We move first.

Orange Juice Newsletter brings you expert driven insights - not headlines. Every day on your inbox.

By subscribing you agree to our Terms and conditions.

Editor's Picks

Crypto market outlook for 2026

Year 2025 was volatile, as crypto often is.  Among positive catalysts were favourable regulatory changes in the U.S., rise of Digital Asset Treasuries (DAT), adoption of AI and tokenization of Real-World-Assets (RWA).

Sberbank issues Russia's first corporate loan backed by Bitcoin

Russia's largest bank Sberbank launched the country's first Bitcoin-backed corporate loan to miner Intelion Data. The pilot deal uses cryptocurrency as collateral through Sberbank's proprietary Rutoken custody solution.

Bitcoin recovers to $87,000 as retail optimism offsets steady ETF outflows

Bitcoin (BTC) trades above $88,000 at press time on Tuesday, following a rejection at $90,000 the previous day. Institutional support remains mixed amid steady outflow from US spot BTC Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) and Strategy Inc.’s acquisition of 1,229 BTC last week.

Traders split over whether lighter’s LIT clears $3 billion FDV after launch

Lighter’s LIT token has not yet begun open trading, but the market has already drawn a sharp line around its valuation after Tuesday's airdrop.

Orange Juice Newsletter – Smart insights by real people. Every day.

A free newsletter highlighting key market trends to help traders stay a step ahead. Daily insights on the most relevant trading topics, compiled by our experts in an easy-to-read format so you never miss an important move.

Bitcoin: Fed delivers, yet fails to impress BTC traders

Bitcoin (BTC) continues de trade within the recent consolidation phase, hovering around $92,000 at the time of writing on Friday, as investors digest the Federal Reserve’s (Fed) cautious December rate cut and its implications for risk assets.