
The Petro is a cryptocurrency created by the Venezuelan government to stabilize its economy and raise funds for the country. It's a digital token backed by Venezuela's oil reserves.
The Petro was first announced in December 2017 by President Nicolás Maduro, who claimed it would help Venezuela overcome economic sanctions and attract foreign investment.
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What Is Petro?
Petro is a digital currency issued by the Venezuelan government. It's backed by the country's oil reserves, specifically the country's oil reserves. The Petro token is built on blockchain technology, which provides a secure and transparent way to record transactions.
The Petro token is pegged to the value of a barrel of oil, which is the country's main export. This gives it a stable value, unlike other cryptocurrencies that can be volatile.
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What Is Oil?
Oil is a fossil fuel that can be found in the ground. It's a key component of the Venezuelan economy, backing the Petro cryptocurrency. Venezuela has significant oil reserves.
Is Venezuela's Oil Backed?

The Venezuelan government claims that a petro is exchangeable for a barrel of oil, but no details have been given on trading terms. This makes it difficult to verify the validity of this claim.
According to the Venezuelan government's document, a petro was initially valued at $60, which is roughly the price of a barrel of WTI crude oil.
The chances of an investor recovering their petros in the form of barrels of oil are very slim.
No exchange specialized in cryptocurrencies is ready to accept petros, which raises questions about the feasibility of this oil-backed cryptocurrency.
The only guarantee that this exchange can actually take place is Mr. Maduro's word, which is not a reliable assurance for investors.
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Petro's Design and Functionality
The design of the Petro has been a topic of controversy.
Petros were 100% pre-mined by the Venezuelan government, meaning no new tokens can be created after issuance.
The Petro's design was allegedly influenced by the Russian government, with members of the Venezuelan Ministry of University Education, Science and Technology under their advisory.
What Is Cryptocurrency?

Cryptocurrency is a digital or virtual currency that uses cryptography for security and is decentralized, meaning it's not controlled by any government or financial institution. This is in contrast to traditional currencies like the US dollar, which are issued and regulated by central banks.
The Petro, a cryptocurrency introduced in 2017, is a good example of a government-sponsored cryptocurrency. The Petro is a Venezuelan government-sponsored cryptocurrency.
Cryptocurrency transactions are typically recorded on a public ledger called a blockchain, which helps to verify and secure transactions. This makes cryptocurrency transactions transparent and tamper-proof.
In the case of the Petro, its introduction in 2017 was a significant event in the world of cryptocurrency.
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Launch
The launch of the petro was a complex and confusing process. The pre-sale started on February 20, 2018, and ended on March 19, 2018, with 38.4 million tokens made available.
The government claimed the pre-sale raised $3.3 billion, but no independent audits were conducted to verify this claim. The technological identity of petro was also unclear during its genesis. It initially stated that the currency would be on the Ethereum platform, but this was later changed to NEM.
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Even after the launch, conflicting information about the platform was still present in various white papers. In October 2018, the white paper was changed again, revealing that petro was a clone of the cryptocurrency Dash. This plagiarism was blatant, with the new white paper copying from the GitHub repository of Dash.
The unorganized launch by the Venezuelan government allowed scammers to establish their own "petro" currencies on various cryptocurrency platforms. These schemes did not gain much success, however.
Design
The design of the petro has been a subject of controversy. The Venezuelan government's initial design changed frequently, even after the pre-sale.
Petros were pre-mined by the Venezuelan government, meaning no new tokens can be created after issuance. This approach is unusual in the cryptocurrency world.
The design of the petro was allegedly influenced by the Russian government, with the Venezuelan Ministry of University Education, Science and Technology under their advisory. Russian president Vladimir Putin denied any official involvement.
On October 1, 2018, the petro switched to an X11 algorithm-based design, which was copied from Dash.
Transactions

Transactions were a key aspect of the Petro's design, allowing users to make a wide range of purchases in Venezuela.
The Petro could be purchased with various currencies, including Russian rubles, Bitcoin, NEM, and Ethereum.
A minimum investment of 50 euros (or its equivalent) per digital wallet or 1000 euros (or its equivalent) per bank deposit was required to acquire the Petro in 2018.
As of 2018, the Venezuelan government had made the Petro a widely accepted form of payment, allowing it to be used for virtually any transaction.
Isn't a Cryptocurrency
The idea that the Petro is a cryptocurrency is misleading, according to the article. It's hard to imagine why the currency would need to be mined, as the government controls all the nodes.
In Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other decentralized cryptocurrencies, mining is the artificially difficult computation that nodes on the network must perform to add a new block to the chain. But the Petro's miners are being registered by the government, which implies a centralized network.
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A centralized network can just use a database, which is much less resource-intensive. Venezuela's mining farms aren't likely to do much more than waste electricity.
The government's references to decentralization are also far from the truth. To redeem an "oil-backed" Petro, you must sell it on a government exchange for a government rate.
The official exchange rates for the Petro are probably-absurd, with the market rate being much higher than the official rate. For example, the official bolívar-to-dollar exchange rate is 10 to 1, while the market rate is closer to 100,000 bolívares to the dollar.
Investors can't even demand physical delivery of the oil backing the Petro, as the decree only mentions a purchase agreement for one barrel of oil per token.
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Petro's Economic Impact
The Venezuelan government hopes that the petro cryptocurrency can help raise around $6bn at current prices ($62 a barrel), which could help pay part of the country's obligations.

This amount could be generated by selling 100 million petros, according to the government's argument.
The petro cryptocurrency is also being considered for use in international trade, as the Venezuelan minister of foreign trade, Jose Vielma Mora, announced that Venezuela would pay for imports from Brazil using the petro cryptocurrency.
Brazil has not publicly commented on Venezuela's planned use of the petro, but a group of Brazilian companies have agreed to accept payment for the sale of food to Venezuela through petro starting on February 20.
Price and Volatility
The price of the petro is based on the official Venezuelan oil price, which is defined by the Venezuelan Ministry of Oil and Mining.
The current price of the petro, during the ICO, is referenced on the government's web page.
According to the white paper, the base price of the petro is equivalent to the price of a single Venezuelan oil barrel: 1 petro = 1 oil barrel.

The government plans to back each petro with the value of one oil barrel obtained specifically from the Atapirire parish of Anzoátegui to be exchanged into bolivares or other currencies.
President Maduro has made contradictory statements saying that the petro's worth may be determined solely by market value, which raises concerns about the currency's stability.
Will It Help Venezuela's Economy?
The Venezuelan government is hoping that the petro cryptocurrency will help its economy, but will it really make a difference? At current prices of $62 a barrel, 100 million petros could raise around $6 billion, which could help pay part of the country's obligations.
The government is counting on this to make a positive impact, but let's look at the facts. According to the Venezuelan government's document, a petro should be exchangeable for a barrel of oil, but no details have been given on trading terms.
The government argues that this could help pay for imports, and it's already making some progress in this area. The Venezuelan minister of foreign trade, Jose Vielma Mora, announced that Venezuela would pay for imports from Brazil using the petro cryptocurrency.
Here's a breakdown of the potential benefits:
- 100 million petros could raise around $6 billion at current prices ($62 a barrel).
- Venezuela could use this to pay part of the country's obligations.
- The government plans to pay for imports from Brazil using the petro cryptocurrency.
Update: Not Backed By Anything

The Venezuelan government's petro has been touted as an oil-backed cryptocurrency, but it's not as straightforward as it seems. In fact, it's not backed by oil at all.
In January 2018, the government released a white paper that made it clear the petro has no connection to oil. It's essentially a government-issued currency, and its value is determined by the government's whims.
The white paper outlines a formula for determining the petro's official bolívar exchange rate, but it's a complex and unpredictable system. The government will accept petro as tax payment, but it's unclear what rate they'll use.
The official bolívar-to-dollar exchange rate is a whopping 10 to 1, but the market rate is closer to 100,000 bolívares to the dollar. This discrepancy raises questions about the petro's actual value.
The government's promises to honor its debts are already in doubt, given its history of defaulting on outstanding bonds. This lack of credibility makes it difficult to trust their promises about the petro's value.
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Cost

The cost of petros is a crucial aspect of their economic impact. Each petro will be backed by a barrel of oil and will be sold at the same price, according to the government.
The government had initially considered a pre-sale private auction for 38.4 percent of the petros, which would have been sold at a 60 percent discount.
The price of petros will be consistent, making it easier for investors to understand the value of their investment.
Petro's Governance and Regulation
Poor governance has indeed come to haunt Bitcoin, but the idea that Maduro would try to co-opt it is deeply ironic. The point of Bitcoin was to take corrupt institutions out of the picture.
Bitcoin's creator, Satoshi, likely took a jab at poor governance and cronyism by including a message in the first block mined, referencing a London Times headline about a bank bailout. This was during the financial crisis in 2009.
The irony lies in the fact that Bitcoin was supposed to be immune from problems like those caused by Maduro's corrupt institution.
Governance Thing

The idea of governance is deeply rooted in Bitcoin's creation. The first block mined by its creator on Jan. 3, 2009, contained a message from the London Times about a planned bank bailout, which was seen as a jab at financial institutions and poor governance.
Satoshi's intention was to create a system immune to problems like cronyism and corruption. This was the nadir of the financial crisis, and Bitcoin was supposed to be a better alternative.
The irony is that Maduro, a dictator known for jailing opponents and rewriting the constitution, would try to co-opt Bitcoin. This goes against the original purpose of taking corrupt institutions out of the picture.
Bypassing Sanctions
Cryptocurrencies like Petro have been criticized for allowing users to bypass currency controls and regulations. The US has sanctioned several Venezuelan politicians and business leaders for their alleged involvement in the narcotics trade and suppression of the opposition.
The United States has taken a strong stance against countries that use cryptocurrencies to bypass sanctions. This is evident in the case of Venezuela, where several prominent politicians and business leaders have been sanctioned.
Petro's Relationship with Venezuela

The Petro is deeply tied to Venezuela, its official government cryptocurrency.
The Petro was created by the Venezuelan government, specifically designed to help the country's economy.
Many Venezuelans use other cryptocurrencies alongside the Petro, indicating a lack of exclusive reliance on the official government cryptocurrency.
The Petro's relationship with Venezuela is complex and multifaceted, reflecting the country's economic struggles and its search for alternative solutions.
Petro's Criticisms and Controversies
Petro has no direct connection to oil, despite its name.
The Venezuelan government's white paper released on January 31 made it clear that petro is not a commodity-backed currency.
The government will accept petro as tax payment, which is hardly a revolutionary concept for a government-issued currency.
The white paper does offer a formula for determining petro's official bolívar exchange rate, but it's not a reliable indicator of its value.
The formula takes into account the price of oil and the rate offered by official exchanges, but the government's promises to honor its debts lack credibility.
The government's discount rate, Dv, is set to fall from 30% during the pre-sale to 0%, but it's unlikely to be taken seriously.
In reality, the government will probably accept petro at a rate it feels like accepting it, rather than adhering to the formula.
Petro's Practical Applications
The petro can be exchanged for goods and services through virtual exchange houses, as well as through merchants who accept cryptocurrency.
You can use the petro to buy goods and services at merchants who accept cryptocurrency, making it a practical tool for everyday transactions.
In the future, Venezuelans may even be able to use the petro to buy bread at the bakery.
Petro's versatility extends beyond digital transactions, allowing you to use it to purchase physical goods and services.
Here are some examples of how you can use the petro:
- Exchange it for goods and services through virtual exchange houses
- Use it to buy goods and services at merchants who accept cryptocurrency
- Even buy bread at the bakery in the near future
Petro's Reactions and Reception
The Petro's Reactions and Reception were largely negative, with critics questioning its validity. Many observers felt that the hype surrounding the Petro was overblown.
The Petro was launched with great publicity, but it has not lived up to its promises. This lack of success has led to skepticism about the token's value and purpose.
Critics have pointed out that the Petro is not backed by a portion of Venezuela's oil reserves, as was initially claimed. In reality, the token's value is tied to the country's oil production, which has been struggling due to international sanctions.
Key Takeaways

The Petro, a cryptocurrency launched by Venezuela, has had a mixed reaction from the public. It was proposed to help the country's economy, which has been struggling due to international sanctions.
The Petro is supposedly backed by a portion of Venezuela's massive oil reserves. This backing was a key selling point for the cryptocurrency.
The launch of the Petro was highly publicized, but it hasn't lived up to its hype. Critics have questioned its validity, and it hasn't had the desired impact on Venezuela's economy.
Here are some key details about the Petro:
- Petro was proposed to circumvent international sanctions against Venezuela.
- It is supposedly backed by a portion of Venezuela's massive oil reserves.
- The Petro has not lived up to its hype and critics have questioned its validity.
Reactions
The reactions to the petro cryptocurrency have been mixed. The opposition-controlled National Assembly has outright opposed the idea of the petro, labelling it illegal.
President Donald Trump took a strong stance against the petro, signing an executive order that bars any US-based financial transactions involving Venezuela's new cryptocurrency. US officials warned that the petro is a "scam" by President Nicolas Maduro's government to undermine democracy in the country.
Frequently Asked Questions
Has Venezuela ended its oil backed Petro cryptocurrency?
Yes, Venezuela has officially ended its Petro cryptocurrency, which was launched in 2018 as a way to circumvent US sanctions. The move comes after the cryptocurrency failed to gain traction and was marred by a corruption scandal.
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petro_(token)
- https://www.institutmontaigne.org/en/expressions/cryptocurrency-venezuela-bets-petro-three-questions-eric-chaney
- https://www.investopedia.com/terms/p/petro-cryptocurrency.asp
- https://www.investopedia.com/news/venezuela-petro-not-cryptocurrency/
- https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2018/3/23/what-is-venezuelas-new-petro-cryptocurrency
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