Major Venezuelan Department Store Chain Accepts Cryptocurrency

The people of Venezuela have been forced to cope with an increasingly difficult economic situation in recent years. This has led to a loss of trust in government-issued fiat by the population in a way that many believe exemplifies the need for cryptocurrency. This may account for why a major Venezuelan department store chain accepts cryptocurrency, something which is a rarity to see in more prospering economies.

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Traki Accepts Cryptocurrency Payments

Traki is a large chain of department stores operating in Venezuela for over 30 years. It encompasses 49 branches in many major cities across the country, selling everything from fashion to food and cookware.

According to its public profiles on social media, the company has opened up to transactions with digital assets since at least October. Traki accepts payments in a number of popular cryptocurrencies including bitcoin cash (BCH), bitcoin core (BTC), dash (DASH), ethereum (ETH) and litecoin (LTC).

Show of Support by Crypto Community

Due largely to government policies, exacerbated by a fall in revenue from oil exports, the economy in Venezuela has been in a sharp decline for years. Inflation in the country is expected to reach over one million percent by the end of 2018, and consumer prices are projected to rise by another ten million percent in 2019 according to recent data from the International Monetary Fund.

The situation in Venezuela has pushed many in the crypto community to try and promote digital assets as a solution to the problem unabated fiat printing has caused. A number of charities have also formed, such as the Eatbch initiative which we recently reported on.

On Friday, we received another example of cryptocurrency being used for good in Venezuela as a Reddit user spoke of buying over 800 items at Traki with donated BTC. She showed a video of herself buying clothing and school supplies with the funds that will be gifted to kids in need.

Is the economic situation in Venezuela likely to convince more people in the country to turn to cryptocurrency? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Images courtesy of Shutterstock.

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