USDT Price Tags Spotted in Bolivian Duty-Free Store
Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino recently shared images on X (previously Twitter) of Bolivian airport duty-free items priced up front in Tether’s stablecoin, USDT (USDt). The images included sunglasses and sweets items priced in USDT, the first in the country’s ailing retail environment.
A message in one of the photos informed customers that prices were set in USDT, using daily exchange rates according to Bolivia’s Central Bank from Binance statistics. Although customers could still pay in US dollars or Bolivianos, the norm of exchange was USDT.
Tether Inroads in Bolivia’s Struggling Economy
Duty Fly, the airport retail outlet, did not respond to media questions, and it’s not certain how widespread this trend is. There are other indicators that point to strong USDT support in Bolivia, however.
One of Bolivia’s largest banks, Banco Bisa, rolled out USDT custody services in October 2024, allowing users to buy, sell, and transfer the stablecoin. This reflects broader acceptance of USDT as an instrument of finance as the country suffers through national security instability.
Economic Collapse Drives Crypto Adoption
The economic statistics of Bolivia are a vision of hopelessness. The foreign reserves of the country have fallen from $15 billion in 2014 to just $1.98 billion as of December 2024. Less than $50 million is in cash—the rest is in gold.
The official exchange rate is nearly 7 Bolivianos to the dollar, but the black market rates are 10. In March 2025, inflation was 14.6%, and the government squanders $56 million weekly importing fuel, yet there are still shortages.
That is the situation when crypto offers a refuge. One of Ardoino’s follow-up photos was a box of Oreos priced at 15–22 USDT, which showed how the purchasing power of the Boliviano had decreased.
As Bolivia’s financial system teeters, stablecoins like USDT may increasingly serve as unofficial monetary anchors.
