[Venezuela's Dollar Shortage Worsens, SMEs Turn to Cryptocurrency to Address Forex Challenges] Deep Tide TechFlow reports, on March 24, according to Reuters, Venezuela continues to face a persistent dollar shortage. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are frequently excluded from official foreign exchange auctions, forcing them to turn to unofficial markets and cryptocurrencies to sustain import purchases. Local analysts estimate that from mid-January to early March 2026, the total amount of official dollar auctions was approximately $1.3 billion, a 13% decrease compared to the same period in 2025. Several interviewed business representatives revealed that large food, medical, beverage, and chemical companies enjoy priority allocation in the auctions, while medium-sized pharmaceutical, chemical, plastic, and technology suppliers are often left empty-handed, with rejected bids receiving no explanation. Due to the impact of sanctions, Venezuelan banks are largely isolated from the global financial system, rendering wire transfers and international payment platforms unusable. Some SME owners stated that after being blocked from official channels, they have reverted to relying on cryptocurrency for cross-border payments, despite previously hoping that cryptocurrencies would only serve as an emergency measure.