Bitcoin becoming a safehaven currency in Argentina

[alyssa85]

https://www.newsbtc.com/2019/10/30/bitcoin-trades-at-large-premium-in-argentina-as-dollar-purchase-restrictions-set-in/

Bitcoin is trading at a large premium on cryptocurrency exchanges in Argentina. Demand remains high after the nation’s central bank announced a further tightening of a limit on the number of dollars an individual can purchase from it each month.

The policy essentially forces the people of Argentina to either sink of swim in an economy with a less than perfect track record. Well, it would, were it not for Bitcoin.

According to data taken from local cryptocurrency exchange Ripio, Bitcoin is trading at a large premium in Argentina. Whereas Coinmarketcap has the price of the leading digital asset at around $9,150 at the time of writing, Bitcoin is currently selling at the South American trading venue for ARS$633,862 ($10,578).

The nation has been in the grips of successive economic crises which have seen the value of the peso plummet. In an attempt to stabilise the currency, the central bank first limited the amount of dollars an individual could purchase each month to $10,000 in September. Just days ago, it drastically increased this restriction to just $100 in physical bank notes per month.

I guess the workaround is buying bitcoin and then taking a trip to another country where you can cash out in dollars using local bitcoins.

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[Clement Kaliyar]

I guess the workaround is buying bitcoin and then taking a trip to another country where you can cash out in dollars using local bitcoins.

Is this even feasible and how many will be taking a trip like these to take advantage of the situation make a few thousand dollars, there might be i do not know but these situation arises because of the limitations by the banking sector amid the financial crisis they are facing and it is really difficult to see these situations creeping up globally and worried when we will be hitting by these.

[ecnalubma]

People will look for alternative if a financial crises struck a country strategically they are on their own even it involves risk, more and more countries will suffer a scenarios like this if deregulation and government continuosly losing power financially. This is the downside if we fully intrust our money to banks better if we diversify our financial capabilities looking for alternative money, thinking in advance could save us from worst cases.

[Pearls Before Swine]

I've never heard of Ripio, and my question is can't Argentinians buy bitcoin on some other exchange if they need to?  I assume Ripio is an online exchange and that Argentina's citizens aren't limited as to what crypto exchanges they can use (tho I could be wrong).  Also that mark up doesn't seem too extreme to me.  That sounds about like what you'd get if you were to buy bitcoin at an ATM.

Very interesting article, by the way.  It sounds crazy to me that the gov't would limit the amount of dollars you could buy per month when the economy is suffering so badly.  Hopefully bitcoin can give the people who live there an alternative to cash and that they'll stick with it in the future.  This is exactly what bitcoin was made for.

[TheUltraElite]

Your workaround does not sound feasible for those who small-cap to mid-cap traders. Only whales would attempt to do so and by all means they have been doing it every once and while to launder their money which is also why they get target by income tax and exchanges force KYC on them.

It is likely that there are bitcoin based business operating from Argentina and they are fueling this economic conditions to set it. They may just move on to another country if they feel that the noose is tightening. This does end up being a choke for the smaller startups based on crypto and governments predatory policies to them.

[Lucius]

Old news with new numbers, before the limit was $10 000, now it is only $100 in cash + $200 with a bank account. But I have no doubt that the people of Argentina will be able to circumvent all possible restrictions if there is a desire for something, there is also a way to make it happen.

The average salary in Argentina is around 19,014 ARS ($320), so I doubt too many people can invest in buying BTC or $ after paying all the living expenses in one month. Argentina is still quite a small market for crypto-based on OP article - in 4 days of trading only $200 000 is traded so far.

Previous discussion can be found in this thread: Argentina capital controls, a strong case for bitcoin

[coin-investor]

https://www.newsbtc.com/2019/10/30/bitcoin-trades-at-large-premium-in-argentina-as-dollar-purchase-restrictions-set-in/

I guess the workaround is buying bitcoin and then taking a trip to another country where you can cash out in dollars using local bitcoins.

That has been the option of many holders whose country is struggling in its economy, the immigration cannot stop you for doing this because all are in USB or saved in your email where you can access abroad, many are doing right now, our country has a limitation on how many dollars you can buy to take out abroad, with Cryptocurrency all has become so easy and there's no tax either.

[Wexnident]

Is this even feasible and how many will be taking a trip like these to take advantage of the situation make a few thousand dollars

I think it is? Though there are a lot of possible process involved that are needed to be done beforehand though, so it is kind of a hassle.

Well, I don't blame them with the limiting thingy. It is the job of the government to regulate fiat and at the very least, let fiat be the most used currency for most of the people. This could at the very least let the peso in their country circulate around the market itself, letting the economy grow and repair itself. But with how Argentina people are buying BTC instead, this let's their peso go away in the form of USD which I think restrains the growth of their economy.

[The Sceptical Chymist]

The average salary in Argentina is around 19,014 ARS ($320)

Awesome that you wrote that, because I was wondering about that $100 limit.  BTW, is that 19,014 ARS the monthly salary or annual?  I will assume it's monthly--and if it's yearly, that's incredible.  I had no idea that the cost of living was that cheap, though I realize that it wouldn't seem that way to people who live there.

Bitcoin won't be a safe-haven asset to the people of Argentina, even if it becomes a go-to asset.  There's a big difference.  If any of them do buy bitcoin, there's a damn good chance they could lose purchasing power.  They'd be much better off sticking with USD if they can survive on that pitiful $100/month.

And yeah, I'm sure they can figure out a way around the restriction but it would be so much better if their government didn't impose that kind of thing in the first place.  It sounds extremely repressive.

[alyssa85]

Is this even feasible and how many will be taking a trip like these to take advantage of the situation make a few thousand dollars, there might be i do not know but these situation arises because of the limitations by the banking sector amid the financial crisis they are facing and it is really difficult to see these situations creeping up globally and worried when we will be hitting by these.

It's not about making a few thousand dollars. It's simply about preserving your money. How many crises has Argentina gone through now? It's happening practically every decade now.

It makes sense to buy bitcoin simply to make sure your savings don't lose value. Even if you can save $500, it's worth it compared to seeing your money become worthless AGAIN.

[boltz]

South Americans countries were always on top when it comes to cryptocurrencies and its good to see that argentina its stepping up more than usual when it comes to Bitcoin adoption. Its seems that the only country left to point citizen to adoption of cryptos is USA , which is unbelievable as all adoption started to rise all over the world and USA is still fighting for a regulation ...they will loose this race for sure and maybe its intentionally.

[abhiseshakana]

Inflation in Argentina is a complication of several mistakes in decision making including:
- False fiscal policy of the central bank of Argentina by raising the benchmark interest rate in the hope of reducing inflation and keeping investors from running, such as saving fuel subsidies, raising taxes and reducing the cost of state spending.
- Borrowing funds from the IMF, giving rise to a series of policies that are detrimental to its people so that the stability of the government is disrupted
- Uncertain political conditions due to presidential elections, and the concerns of opposition candidates who won and the fact that the opposition won the election in October 2019. President Macri is a follower of austerity.
- the drought that hit Argentina so that the agricultural sector experienced a decline, even though the agricultural sector was the biggest foreign exchange earner for Argentina.

Argentina's conditions and central bank policies that limit buyers of gold and bitcoin make investors and even the Argentine community buy bitcoin to protect the value of their assets against inflation. Indeed the people of Argentina can choose to buy gold or bitcoin, many choose bitcoin because it is easier to buy and store than gold. The case in Argentina shows that bitcoin is trusted by many people in the world, what is needed now is massive education so that many parties who have come to understand and use bitcoin.

[Sithara007]

I guess the workaround is buying bitcoin and then taking a trip to another country where you can cash out in dollars using local bitcoins.

They would be purchasing Bitcoin using the Argentine peso, right? In that case, why can't they carry the Peso banknotes with them to either Uruguay or Brazil and then convert to USD there? Once the cash is converted, then they can bring it back to Argentina. The restriction is only on purchasing USD from the central bank, and not from the other sources. Purchasing Bitcoin in Argentina and then converting it to USD in neighboring nations sounds too complex. They need to find a buyer in Brazil, who would pay them physical cash. And obviously there are multiple risk factors associated with this method.

BTW, I checked the exchange rates of the national currency (Argentine Peso). It is going down like a falling knife. During the past 30-days, the exchange rate has gone from 1 USD = 57 Peso to 1 USD = 60 Peso. And the government is trying hard to prop up the currency and in the exchange rate is even lower in the dark market.

[n0ne]

Compared most other countries Argentina is small market for Cryptocurrency. The inflation in the country has made them think of an alternative to keep their earnings secure. This seems to be the reason for the increasing interest over cryptocurrency investment. Maybe over the years this might evolve as a big market.

Also the market contribution increases when there is increase in the trading practice of cryptocurrency. Now there isn't such a big number in trading as people aren't earning big. Only limited zones were developed, which marks the need for uniform development.

[blckhawk]

This is one of the many scenarios possible that bitcoin could help a sinking economy. Fewer restrictions and smaller fees attract people to invest their precious funds in bitcoin, but the volatility is one of the factors that might keep them away and couldn't be removed in the market because it's core idea is being decentralized controlled by pure supply and demand. What OP has told is somewhat of a refuge to other country's fiat to cut losses. While this may be a temporary fix, Argentina needs to prevent further inflation or they'll face serious problem with their currency.

[Murat]

Wow, In Argentina, the Bitcoin price is 30% more than any other country, that's a positive move for this coin in any specific nation, I think Argentina is one of the highest Bitcoin holders countries, so it makes them a safe place, not only that but also south American countries are always a safe area for this platform, that's why the USA government are trying to oppose always towards blockchain and Bitcoin technology, I think the USA government is still the main problem of this platform but it may require more time to be stable in every corner of this technology, today or tomorrow, Bitcoin will dominate in the monetary world because it has a lot of potentiality and versatility.

[huu78]

The economic crisis in different countries was a catastrophe. The restriction may lead to the person who bears the money to buy or exchange their cash when they want to leave the country.
The solution is indeed to buy Bitcoin or stable coin like USDT and re-sell after outside the country and make its dollar. But can it possibly be a good solution? Hopefully not subject to illegal transactions

[styca]

Bitcoin will eventually become a safe haven everywhere. It is likely that this process starts with crisis-hit countries. If your nation is hit by hyper-inflation, Bitcoin is now a valid choice. And even if you're wary of the price fluctuations - which are less for bitcoin than for any other crypto - there are still crypto stablecoins which have proven to be safe and steady over the years.

Bitcoin will become seen as the best store-of-value option there is. It will supplant gold. As crypto matures, its price fluctuations will diminish. The path may be rocky, but it leads inevitably into the mainstream.

[Lucius]

Awesome that you wrote that, because I was wondering about that $100 limit.  BTW, is that 19,014 ARS the monthly salary or annual?  I will assume it's monthly--and if it's yearly, that's incredible.  I had no idea that the cost of living was that cheap, though I realize that it wouldn't seem that way to people who live there.

And yeah, I'm sure they can figure out a way around the restriction but it would be so much better if their government didn't impose that kind of thing in the first place.  It sounds extremely repressive.

People also manipulate the $100 figure, it's actually about the total amount of $300 ($100 in cash+$200 via bank account). And as for the average salary in Argentina, I use data from Salaryexplorer, you can see more details on that page. It may be important to emphasize that 50% of all employees earn a salary below the average amount, and 25% earn less than 9,372 ARS which is more than half of the average salary.

Actually life is not so cheap in Argentina (for local people), and by this article one person can live comfortably for $1000 per month. If we consider a family of four with two employees and an average salary (2x $320), this is not money that can make a decent living in an urban environment, but in rural area, prices are significantly lower.

I think people do their best to make extra money in their spare time, as is the case throughout Central and South America. We can take Cuba for example, where one doctor's salary is just around $50 per month, and one family of 4 need around $600-$700 per month. What people do there is the art of survival, in the literal sense of the word.

[Sahyadri]

The economic crisis have been hitting many countries recently. The situation will get worse in coming years as the threat of recession is looming over us and political instability is increasing throughout the globe. In such a time, crypto could be preferred as an alternative form of investment which can safeguard ones money from devaluation. It's time when people understand the importance of decentralized currency.