The document release also offers new insight into a key detail: which blockchain the petro token (PTR) will utilize as a payment rail. Indeed, the white paper confirms that, initially, the petro will exist as a token on top of ethereum, relying on the ERC20 token standard.
"The Presale will begin on February 20, 2018 and will consist of the creation and sale of an ERC20 token on the [blockchain] of the ethereum platform. This process will promote and guarantee demand for the Petro Initial Offer, which will be made later," it states.
But notably, the buyer's manual claims that "the PTR token will work on the chain of NEM blocks" during its pre-sale, referring to the blockchain network launched in 2015 that saw more than $500 million of its cryptocurrency stolen from exchange platform Coincheck in late January.
Per the buyer's guide, "the wallets and programming elements are related to this technological platform."
It's not entirely clear why there is a discrepancy between the two documents. It's possible that the petro will indeed be build on top of the NEM network, only to be later swapped for the ERC20-based ones once the sale is in full swing. Alternatively, Venezuela could be using some kind of XEM-derived code in order to underly a wholly new ledger. A representative for the NEM Foundation did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
https://www.coindesk.com/...-learned-venezuelas-cryptocurrency-today/