You know this as the U.S. dollar. It’s the official currency of the United States
and its territories, but, also, some other countries use it
as their official currency too. In fact, the U.S. dollar is known as the world’s
reserve currency. So how exactly did this become so powerful? More than $1.8 trillion of U.S. currency is
now in circulation around the world, and it’s believed that two-thirds of $100 bills and
nearly half of $50 bills are held outside the US. In fact, the U.S. dollar is the de facto global currency,
meaning it’s kept by many governments in reserves and that most people and companies
trust it for international trade. Even as the coronavirus pandemic wreaked havoc
across global markets, wiping out trillions of dollars' worth of assets,
the U.S. dollar was unaffected by the turmoil. At one point, it soared 4% against a basket
of major currencies, namely the euro, pound, yen, Canadian dollar, Swiss franc and Swedish
krona. So why did we see this spike in the value
of the U.S. dollar? The dollar is strong because of the U.S. economy
and because people want to hold dollars and the safety of the U.S. dollar. In times of uncertainty, investors flee to
what’s known as safe havens, investments expected to hold their value
during market turbulence. And you guessed it, the U.S. currency is seen
as such. Why? Well it hails from the world’s largest economy,
the United States, which is generally politically and economically stable. And while you can be pretty sure that the
U.S. dollar’s value will fluctuate, it probably won’t plunge the way the Turkish Lira or
Argentinian Peso have. All of that demand for the dollar can cause
shortages during times of economic crisis, which only exacerbates the larger problem. America’s central bank, the Federal Reserve,
is responsible for issuing the currency, and takes extra measures to prevent a squeeze
when there’s a rush for the greenback. For example, during the financial and coronavirus
crises, it set up a number of ‘swap lines’ with other major central banks, making sure there is
enough money available for investment and spending. This helps stabilize currency markets when
the desire for the U.S. dollar surges. So how exactly did the U.S. dollar become
the major reserve currency of the world? Well, for a long time, developed economies
tied their currencies to gold. However, during the first World War, many
of these countries abandoned this gold standard and started paying their military expenses
with paper money instead. Eventually the U.S. dollar, which was still
tied to gold, overtook the British pound to become the world’s leading reserve currency. During World War II, the United States sold
weapons and supplies to many of its allies and collected its payments in gold. By 1947, the U.S. had accumulated 70% of the
world’s gold reserves, leaving other nations with a huge disadvantage. To try to remedy this and other financial
matters, 44 Allied countries met in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, in 1944. There, they decided that the world’s currencies
would be pegged to the U.S. dollar, which was in turn linked to gold. As central banks began to build their reserves
over time, these dollars were redeemed for gold, dwindling the U.S.’s stockpile and igniting concerns
about the stability of the U.S. dollar. In 1971, U.S. President Richard Nixon shocked
the world when he de-linked the dollar from gold. From there, free floating exchange rates were
born, meaning exchange rates were no longer fixed to gold and were determined by
market forces instead. Despite periods of market volatility and the
inflation that followed, the U.S. dollar has remained the world’s reserve currency. Its sheer volume and America’s efficient
banking system made the notes more convenient and cheaper to trade than other currencies. Today, the vast majority of foreign exchange
transactions are done in U.S. dollars with no other currencies coming anywhere near that. In recent decades, the U.S. has even been
accused of “weaponizing” its currency for strategic and geopolitical influence. One example cited by critics was the Trump
administration's sanctions on North Korea and Iran, which included forbidding them from
using the dollar in trade. Some economies are so reliant on the American
notes, that they’re even commonly used in day-to-day transactions. At ATMs in Cambodia, you can withdraw
the greenback from the machines. On a global scale, you’ll find commodities
like metals, energy and agricultural goods are usually traded in U.S. dollars. Here’s an example of how the U.S. dollar
influences everyday business deals. Let’s say a jewelry company in India wants to sell
its products to a Canadian department store. If the Canadian retailer tries to pay in Canadian
dollars, the Indian jeweller is likely to say, “I don’t know how much this is worth. And I certainly can’t use it in India.” That department store, meanwhile, could also
argue that the rupee won’t go very far in Canada. So, they’re both likely to transact
in U.S. dollars instead. Those dollars will then be exchanged into
rupees in India. Add together the number of transactions happening
like this every day and, well, that’s a lot of greenback entering foreign economies. So we’ve established that the U.S. dollar
is stable. But you might be thinking, what about
other currencies that are stable too like what about the Swiss Franc or the Singapore
dollar, both of which come from politically and economically
stable countries too. And yes, while those are fair points, the
truth is, those countries just have far less influence and economic power. Switzerland’s population is a mere 8 million,
while the U.S. has more than 332 million. Just look at central banks’ foreign exchange
reserves worldwide. While the majority of currency reserves are made up of
U.S. dollars, the euro makes up nearly 21%, the Japanese yen makes up nearly 6%
and the pound sterling makes up nearly 5%. So, could any of these other currencies give
the dollar a run for its money? For years there have been calls for an alternative
reserve currency, ranging from countries like China and Russia to intergovernmental organizations
like the United Nations. In recent years, some central banks have added
the Chinese yuan to their reserves. The cloud of U.S. sanctions has also prompted
a desire for some countries to bypass dollar-denominated trading. In 2018, Germany’s foreign minister wrote
in an op-ed that it is “essential that we strengthen European autonomy by establishing
payment channels independent of the U.S.” And some are hoping the world’s future reserve
currency won’t be tied to a national government at all. They see cryptocurrencies, such as bitcoin,
eventually overthrowing the dollar. But, even so, any change in the U.S. dollar’s
strength certainly wouldn’t happen overnight. Despite calls for an alternative reserve currency,
it’s still hard to imagine any country capable of taking the mantle from the U.S.
as the global currency anytime soon.
