The top 10 most traded currencies

The high currency value only indicates the inflation processes in the country are under control. We know that the currencies of not very https://forexhero.info/ successful countries tend to decrease in value. However, when everything is fine with the economy, we can hardly see the opposite effect.

My aim is to help people develop the confidence and knowledge to take control of their own finances.

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Non-American banks had $27 trillion in international liabilities denominated in foreign currencies. That was the only way to keep the world’s banks from running out of dollars. Most countries want to hold their reserves in a currency with large and open financial markets, since they want to be sure that they can access their reserves in a moment of need.

The Jordanian dinar is the fourth-strongest currency in the world, with 1 dinar buying 1.41 dollars (or $1 equals 0.71 Jordanian dinar). Oman sits between the United Arab Emirates and Yemen at the eastern tip of the Arabian Peninsula. The Bahraini dinar is the second-strongest currency in the world, with 1 dinar buying 2.65 dollars (or $1 equals 0.38 Bahraini dinar). The Kuwaiti dinar is the strongest currency in the world, with 1 dinar buying 3.26 dollars (or, put another way, $1 equals 0.31 Kuwaiti dinar). However—perhaps surprisingly—the greenback is not the strongest of the 180-odd traditional fiat currencies recognized as legal tender worldwide.

In 2019, the euro to U.S. dollar average exchange rate was equal to 1.12. Some exchange rates are fixed, but most are flexible, meaning they fluctuate according to supply and demand on the foreign exchange market. Interest rates, which are used to promote economic growth or limit inflation, can have a big influence on exchange rates. In general, higher interest rates incentivize saving and increase the demand from foreign investors, driving up the value of that particular currency. China, for instance, has long had its currency, the yuan or renminbi, pegged to the dollar, much to the disagreement of many economists and central bankers. Quite often, countries will fix their currencies to the U.S. dollar to stabilize their exchange rates rather than allowing the free (forex) markets to drive the currency’s relative value.

  1. However, experts point out that structural challenges in BRICS countries, including a lack of robust central banks and monetary policies, make it infeasible.
  2. GBP is also another major global reserve currency, trusted by foreign central banks for its stability.
  3. The Kuwaiti dinar was introduced in the 1960s and was initially pegged to the British pound before being re-pegged to an undisclosed basket of currencies.
  4. The Gibraltar pound was first introduced in the 1920s and is pegged to the British pound (at par, meaning one GIP equals one GBP).

“Sanctions are an effective tool, but we have to be careful,” CFR’s Benn Steil told NPR. Meanwhile, the Chinese renminbi has become the most-traded currency in Russia. If you’re new to forex trading, you can open a demo account to practise in a risk-free environment with £10,000 in virtual funds. This will also give you access to IG Academy where you can learn rfp software development how to analyse and trade currency pairs. The value of NZD is strongly dependent on New Zealand’s trading relationships, the value of the country’s imports and exports, and the strength of trading partners’ currencies. Its main exports are agricultural products – particularly dairy and meat products – while its main imports are oil, machinery and cars.

U.S. Dollar (USD)

The Hong Kong dollar is issued by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) and three other authorized banks, including the People’s Bank of China. The Hong Kong Monetary Authority holds a large amount of USD in reserve to maintain this rate. The euro is the official currency of 20 out of the 27 countries that form the European Union.

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The U.S. dollar, which is sometimes called the greenback, is first and foremost in the world of forex trading, as it is easily the most traded currency on the planet. The U.S. dollar can be found in a currency pair with all of the other major currencies and often acts as the intermediary in triangular currency transactions. This is because the greenback acts as the unofficial global reserve currency, held by nearly every central bank and institutional investment entity in the world. The US dollar is by far the most traded currency in the forex market, with a global daily average trading volume of about $6.6 trillion. In fact, USD takes such a large precedent in forex markets that all ‘major’ currency pairs in foreign exchange trading include the dollar.

Canada has the second-largest uranium supply in the world as well as large reserves of crude oil (13.21%), second to Saudi Arabia and Venezuela. The world’s second most valuable currency is the Bahraini Dinar, with a conversion rate of $2.66 per one Dinar. It is pegged to the US Dollar, and its exchange rate against the USD remained stable since 1987. We’ve put together a list of the highest-valued currencies in 2023 compared to the US Dollar and Euro.

Most Popular Currencies for Trading

The Hong Kong dollar is the ninth most traded currency and the official monetary instrument of Hong Kong, a special administrative region of China. The Swiss franc is the seventh most traded currency and the official currency of Switzerland. The franc has a reputation for stability, making it a popular safe haven for currency traders and investors. Over 75% of Canada’s exports and 50% of its imports are with its southern neighbor, meaning the Canadian dollar is especially touchy to economic conditions in the United States.

Created in the 1700s, the dollar is legal tender in the U.S.; its territories, including Puerto Rico; and other sovereign nations, such as Ecuador and Zimbabwe. Most currencies are “floating,” meaning their value fluctuates depending on demand and supply. However, some currencies are “pegged,” which means their value relative to another currency, such as the dollar, is fixed at an agreed-upon rate.

The Aussie is considered one of the foremost commodity currencies, meaning that its value can be affected by price shifts in Australia’s major exports. Much like Australia, Canada is rich in natural resources and a major exporter of commodities, which means their prices can be a critical factor in determining CAD’s value. The currency is likely to rise in value if commodity prices increase and fall in value if they decrease. The New Zealand dollar rounds off this list as the tenth-most traded currency. It’s managed by the Reserve Bank of New Zealand and is classified as a commodity currency like its Australian neighbor. Like the US dollar, the euro is the focus of several currency pegs, mostly by African nations who have strong trade relations to Europe.

There are both pros and cons of a single, cross-border currency adopted by multiple economies. The ability to pay for goods and services in different countries without exchanging currencies is a huge plus. Still, drawbacks include ceding control of monetary policy for the greater good of the entire block. According to the Bank for International Settlements, the Euro accounts for a daily average volume of upwards of $800 million.

Swiss franc (CHF)

The Swiss franc is the official currency and legal tender of Switzerland and Liechtenstein. Since the fall of the Bretton Woods system, the Japanese government adopted a policy of currency intervention in an attempt to increase its export competitiveness by keeping a low yen value. It’s not unusual that notable cross-pairs, such as GBP/JPY or GBP/AUD, reach an intraday volatility of more than 200 pips. This often creates an inverse relationship between them – a rising US dollar can lead to a fall in commodity prices and vice-versa. The Federal Reserve System was created as a central bank for the US in 1913 by the Federal Reserve Act and is headed by a chairman and board of governors. It means, if the value of the JPY is generally stable, we can say this currency is strong.

The reason is that this autonomous British territory is one of the world’s best tax havens and one of the five largest offshore financial centers. The country is not economically developed, and it lacks essential resources, such as oil. Jordan has significant external debt, so it is highly dependent on neighboring countries and the IMF. Countries such as China and Russia feel a new one-world currency, one not backed by any one nation, is overdue in this increasingly integrated global economy. The relative strength of the U.S. economy supports the value of the dollar.