According to WSJ, Tether has played a key role in helping Venezuela's state-owned oil company bypass international sanctions, serving as a settlement currency for oil transactions. After the sanctions were intensified in 2020, Venezuela's state-owned oil company PdVSA began requiring USDT for settling export payments to circumvent the traditional banking system. Oil export revenues are either directly transferred to designated wallet addresses or exchanged for USDT through intermediaries. Local economists estimate that approximately 80% of oil revenues are received through stablecoins like USDT. Meanwhile, against the backdrop of the ongoing devaluation of the local currency, the Bolivar, USDT also provides an important financial lifeline for ordinary Venezuelans. Analysts believe that Maduro's arrest will not weaken the use of USDT locally; instead, it may prompt US law enforcement agencies to leverage blockchain technology to trace funds suspected of being transferred or embezzled.