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Which Currencies Can You Actually Trust Today?
What inflation, reserves, and digital shifts say about your next move.
Philip Saparov
August 25, 2025
In partnership with
Greetings, curious mind attuned to global change!
What’s a currency really worth? More than its exchange rate. It’s a mirror of a nation’s trust, power, and future.
In this edition, we follow the money—literally. From rock-solid currencies to those cracking under pressure, discover what your wallet can reveal about the world.
Let’s dive in.
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Switzerland's reputation for neutrality, stability, and discretion isn’t just cultural—it’s financial. The Swiss Franc (CHF) has long been one of the world’s most trusted currencies, often sought in times of global crisis.
What makes it so reliable? A fierce independence from the EU, an inflation-averse central bank, and a national economy rooted in high-value industries like finance, biotech, and precision engineering. The Swiss don’t just guard their borders—they safeguard their balance sheets.
🇨🇭 Fun fact: During the 2008 financial crisis, the Swiss Franc surged so strongly that the Swiss National Bank had to devalue its own currency to prevent economic distortion. In times of fear, people buy Francs.
The U.S. dollar remains the world’s reserve currency, backing everything from oil transactions to global debt. Roughly 90% of global forex involves the dollar. But cracks in the crown are emerging.
Skyrocketing debt levels, political gridlock, and a growing movement toward de-dollarization among rising powers like China and Russia are challenging the dollar’s dominance. Yet, its strength lies in inertia—central banks hold dollars because everyone else does, too.
💡 Did you know? Despite internal instability, 60% of global central bank reserves are still held in USD—a number slowly decreasing from over 70% in the early 2000s.
While much of the world has been battling inflation above 5%, a few nations have quietly maintained monetary discipline that would impress even the most hawkish economists.
🇯🇵 Japan’s inflation rate hovered around 2.5% in 2024, aided by long-standing deflationary pressures and a conservative central bank.
🇸🇬 Singapore actively manages its currency instead of interest rates, keeping inflation surprisingly low through its unique monetary policy.
🇨🇿 The Czech Republic, often overlooked, has quietly earned investor confidence by aggressively hiking rates and staying transparent with policy.
🎯 Eye-opener: Singapore is one of the only countries in the world where currency appreciation is used as a primary tool to fight inflation—a rare but effective strategy.
On the other end of the spectrum lie nations whose currencies have become warning signs. Mismanagement, debt dependency, and political instability have gutted public trust—and purchasing power.
🇦🇷 In Argentina, inflation exceeded 200% in 2024, with locals using U.S. dollars for big-ticket purchases.
🇹🇷 Turkey’s lira has lost over 80% of its value in the past five years. A cycle of unconventional rate cuts and soaring inflation has left savers scrambling.
🇱🇧 Lebanon’s pound has been rendered nearly unusable, with over 90% of transactions now informal or in foreign currencies.
🧨 Cautionary tale: At one point in 2023, the monthly inflation rate in Argentina outpaced that of entire years in most OECD countries.
The euro is a fascinating case of monetary unity. Backed by the economic might of Germany and France, it provides stability for smaller EU nations. But with unity comes complexity—member countries can’t devalue their own currency to respond to local crises.
Still, the euro remains a major reserve currency and a symbol of European cooperation, with inflation in the Eurozone expected to cool below 3% in 2025 after a turbulent post-COVID spike.
🔍 Insight: While Greece and Italy have often struggled economically, Germany’s strong trade surplus props up the euro—a hidden subsidy for weaker EU economies.
In an age of fiat fatigue, a few nations are eyeing or experimenting with backing their currency to something tangible again—like gold.
🇿🇼 Zimbabwe, scarred by past hyperinflation, introduced a gold-backed currency in 2024.
🇷🇺 Russia has floated the idea of a gold-backed BRICS currency, though actual implementation remains murky.
💰 Some central banks—most notably China’s—are rapidly increasing their gold reserves, signaling a potential hedge against dollar dependence.
Curious nugget: In 2024, global central banks purchased more gold than any year in modern history, a quiet but profound vote of no confidence in traditional fiat.
From blockchain to central bank digital currencies (CBDCs), the concept of money itself is evolving. Countries are experimenting with digital alternatives that could bypass traditional banking structures—and even the U.S. dollar.
🇨🇳 China is leading the way with its digital yuan, now widely piloted in major cities.
🇳🇬 Nigeria’s eNaira has struggled with adoption, but signals ambition.
🇸🇪 Sweden’s e-krona could become Europe’s first functioning CBDC.
🧬 Prediction: By 2030, over 70 countries are expected to launch a CBDC or digital fiat—a transformation that may redefine currency as we know it.
Currencies don’t just buy things—they broadcast who’s in control, and who’s slipping.
If you’re thinking about where to live, invest, or protect your future, follow the money trail. Gold, fiat, digital—each tells a different story.
The smartest move? Stay curious, stay watchful… and always know which currencies are built to last.
Warm regards,
Shane Fulmer
Founder, WorldPopulationReview.com
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