Trump bans US use of Venezuelan cryptocurrency

The Trump administration today banned all use by Americans of Venezuelan cryptocurrency, saying that its introduction is intended to skirt US sanctions.

In an executive order issued on Monday that took effect immediately, President Donald Trump declared illegal all transactions related to Venezuelan digital currencies, coins or tokens.

The prohibition applies to all people and companies subject to US jurisdiction. The move follows the introduction last month of a Venezuelan cryptocurrency known as the "petro," for which the government says it has received investment commitments of USD 5 billion.

In the executive order, Trump said it was an "attempt to circumvent U.S. sanctions" imposed for democratic backsliding. The Treasury had said in January that the petro appeared to be an extension of credit to Venezuela and warned that transactions in it may violate US sanctions.

In February, cash-strapped Venezuela became the first country to launch its own version of bitcoin, the petro, in a move that President Nicolas Maduro celebrated as putting his country on the world's technological forefront.

The petro is backed by Venezuela's crude oil reserves, the largest in the world, yet it has arrived on the market as the socialist country sinks deeper into an economic crisis marked by soaring inflation and food shortages that put residents in lines for hours to buy common products.