According to Cointelegraph, Argentinian presidential candidate Sergio Massa has promised to launch a central bank digital currency (CBDC) if elected, in an effort to address the country's long-standing inflation crisis. During an October 2 presidential debate, Massa, who currently serves as Minister of Economy, stated that he plans to launch the digital currency in Argentina and implement a laundering law that allows those with money abroad to bring it back and use it freely without new taxes.
Argentina's general election is scheduled for October 22, and Massa is currently trailing Javier Milei, a pro-Bitcoin and anti-central bank candidate who won Argentina's primary election in August. Data from American think tank AS/COA suggests that Massa will likely receive the most support in the Buenos Aires province, while Milei has majority backing in the more rural parts of the country. Milei has previously expressed interest in adopting the United States dollar as Argentina's currency and has been a long-time skeptic of central banking. Argentina's third-leading presidential candidate, Patricia Bullrich, reportedly plans to pursue a currency regime where the Argentine peso and U.S. dollar co-exist as legal tender if she wins the election. The Argentine peso has fallen over 99% against the U.S. dollar since December 2023, and most data indicates that Argentina's inflation is the third highest in the world, only trailing Venezuela and Lebanon.
