Cuba to Fight Financial Disturbance by Potentially Adopting Crypto

The government officials of Cuba examine crypto adoption as an instrument to overcome financial turbulence in the country. This comes a few weeks after the Cuban authorities started discussing the implementation of digital assets in the economy.

Crypto vs. Monetary Turmoil

The economic situation on the island of Cuba suffered heavy setbacks due to the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, the government implemented crippling sanctions on the residents, which had a catastrophic effect on the local economy.

As Periodico Cubano reported, the president of Cuba – Miguel Díaz Canel – together with the country’s authorities, now plan to face these issues with the help of cryptocurrencies. According to the coverage, Díaz Canel discussed the possible benefits of crypto adoption in the country.

Additionally, he revealed his intentions to ”keep informing the public” about any implementations regarding the matter. However, Díaz-Canel alerted about the ongoing crypto scams on the island, calling them ”investment pyramid schemes.”

The president’s intentions did not come as a surprise. Last month the Congress of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC) put ahead proposals that might contain finding out how digital assets can boost the shattered economy of the country.

Back in 2019, the Cuban authorities made a similar announcement on how cryptocurrencies can deal with the country’s monetary issues. The Minister of Economy and Planning then said:

”We are considering studying the application of cryptocurrencies in national and international commercial matters. Measures of this type can allow us to move forward. We have to look for alternative means to solve economic problems.”

Similar Situation in Kenya

The move of the Cuban government to fight its financial issues with the help of cryptocurrencies is not the only global example. As CryptoPotato previously reported, Kenya’s Central Bank explored the option of using Bitcoin to boost its depreciating Shilling.

The Kenyan local currency has been on a downward trend for the past few decades and has lost nearly 50% of its value compared to the US dollar since 2010. In the past year alone, the Shilling registered a decline of 10% against the greenback.

Consequently, the Central Bank of the African country came with a plan to switch its national currency to Bitcoin. Although such a move sounds utterly risky, as no government has done it so far, Central Bank Governor Patrick Njoroge revealed his confidence in the possible project:

”Our decision to shift to Bitcoin is both tactical and logical. Our currency has always been the punching bag for the IMF. This has led to too much pressure on the Kenyan Shilling, and this has a negative effect on the economy. Bitcoin will put an end to this.”