YPF Explores Crypto Payments for Fuel

YPF, Argentina's state-run oil company, is looking into letting people pay for gas with cryptocurrency. This idea is still in the works, but it shows how digital money is becoming more popular in Argentina. YPF already lets customers pay in US dollars, which is a big deal because it's the first fuel company in Argentina to do this. The government wants more people to use hard currency to help the local money, the peso, stay strong. If crypto payments become a thing, YPF might use apps like Lemon or Binance to handle the transactions. Customers would scan a code and send money to YPF's bank account. The app would show how much peso the crypto is worth. Argentina is a big fan of crypto. It ranks 20th in the world for crypto use. But not everything is smooth. There was a big mess with a memecoin called Libra. President Javier Milei shared news about it, and it caused a huge crash. People lost a lot of money, and some wanted Milei to step down. He said he just shared info, not promoted it. Things are tough in Argentina. A big $20 billion rescue plan fell through. Now, they're talking about a smaller $5 billion loan. Argentina needs to pay back $4 billion in January, so this loan could help. YPF's move to crypto shows how things are changing. It's not just about gas anymore. It's about how people pay for things and what that means for the country's money.