According to Reuters, Venezuela faces a severe dollar shortage in early 2026, forcing small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to raise product prices and turn to cryptocurrencies to maintain production. Analysis shows that the amount of dollars auctioned by the government in early 2026 will be 13% less than the same period in 2025, with the total auction amount from mid-January to early March reaching $1.3 billion. Because the official foreign exchange allocation system favors large food, medical, and chemical companies, many medium-sized pharmaceutical and chemical suppliers have had their foreign exchange purchase applications repeatedly rejected. To import necessary raw materials, these companies have had to turn to informal markets with higher exchange rates or use cryptocurrencies for payments. This phenomenon has driven up production costs and contributed to Venezuela's inflation rate reaching 600%. A survey by Conindustria, Venezuela's private manufacturing and trade association, shows that 58% of medium-sized business owners cite foreign exchange scarcity as a major obstacle to production.