Argentina is often an international economic canary in the coal mine due to rampant government corruption and irresponsible spending supported by horrendous deals done with the IMF. Although that may seem politically-driven, make no mistake about it, both the right and left have driven the country into the ground in their own special way. The one common thread throughout Argentina’s history over the past 125 years is that the government has always found a way to fumble the ball.

Dollarization seems like the necessary evil. Why? Stability and liquidity. It’s hot fiat garbage, but it’s the best hot fiat garbage for those two reasons. It will allow for the most liquid currency on Earth to facilitate market discovery of goods and services in the near-term, hopefully avoiding the pain felt throughout previous countries post-dollarization.

Oh, and then there’s the widely-held belief that Argentina is home to more physical dollars than any other country. We’re talking TENS OF BILLIONS OF PHYSICAL DOLLARS. But physical dollars won’t be needed in today’s day and age with the proliferation of smart phones.

This is where the Lightning Network can really explode in usage with apps such as Strike (who is in the App Store for both the US and Argentina). It’s now possible to utilize payment solutions that keep up with the velocity of commerce. Anyone from companies to the Bolivian women selling their spicy peppers at the Mercado Norte in Córdoba can access this payment tech. And it’s those Bolivian ladies who we should have in mind when developing the necessary tools for mass adoption (for example identifying the most common version of Android being run in the world and focusing there).