Banco Exterior CEO Carlos Chow says Venezuelan banks have more than enough capital to lend much more: the country’s loan portfolio is barely around 3.5% of GDP, compared with 40%–50% in average economies, and his bank aims to grow its portfolio sixfold to around US$5 billion within a short timeframe.
**The hard numbers**
• Country’s loan portfolio: ~3.5% of GDP | Average economies: 40%–50%
• Banco Exterior: grow its loan portfolio up to 6x | Target: around US$5 billion
• 2026 year-end projection: 30%-40% real growth in the loan portfolio vs. the previous year
• Condition: sustained deposit growth, which—Chow says—is already happening
• New payment system with state-of-the-art technology and a legal portal
• Goal: become the first Venezuelan bank to execute a letter of credit with Colombia
**Market outlook**
If bank lending picks up, the liquidity equation in bolívares changes, demand for dollars shifts, and the USDT P2P market has to recalculate its margins. When credit is scarce, businesses turn to stablecoins; when credit flows, some of that demand migrates to the formal banking system. But more bolívares in circulation seek refuge in dollars, and that brings USDT back into the conversation. The net result is not obvious: it depends on how quickly the credit tap is opened. And if loans grow while deposits stagnate, the inflation outlook becomes more complicated, and P2P offer rates will move accordingly.
**Context**
The article points out that banking friction—failed transfers, mobile payments that never arrive, daily limits—is one reason P2P remains the preferred way to convert bolívares to USDT. If digital banking genuinely improves, P2P will have to justify its value through security, reputation, compliance, and customer service. In the Venezuela-Colombia corridor, one of the most active in stablecoin flows, the formal banking channel could gain ground in remittances and commercial payments. Three things to watch: whether deposits match the rhetoric, whether the BCV sets clear rules, and whether the new payment system delivers genuine interoperability.
Do you think bank lending will take demand away from P2P, or will the new bolívares end up seeking USDT?
Educational content. This is not financial advice: the crypto market is volatile, and everyone makes decisions based on their own situation.