The World’s 10 Most Traded Currencies
Reserve currencies like the US dollar and the Japanese yen are common forex trading.
Currency trading or forex trading is a lucrative business that involves exchanging money between millions of people, businesses and organizations. The transactions can be as simple as exchanging a few dollars for the local currency during travels. Similarly, forex can be as complicated as investing in large businesses or investing in foreign bank accounts.
The Birth Of Forex Trading

However, Britain stopped using the gold standard in 1931, and the USA did the same two years later. Governments have developed what is called the fiat system. Instead of giving money backed by a tangible asset such as gold, money is now backed by the government. These changes affected the interaction of international markets with each other.
Globalization, travel and the Internet have made it easier for people to invest in other countries. Although all currencies serve their purpose, there are ten currencies that are more popular than others. They are used for different reasons, and the basic understanding of these currencies can help you better understand other types of currency.
New Zealand Dollar

Hong Kong Dollar

Chinese Renminbi

Swiss Franc

Canadian Dollar

Australian Dollar

Pound Sterling

Japanese Yen

Japan’s national currency is a behemoth in Asia, and investors often observe the state of the yen to get a better perspective on Asia’s economy as a whole. Professional investors also use the yen as a carry trade. Japan is known for its negative interest rate policy, and thus many investors buy yen and later exchange it for currencies that are more valuable, allowing them to make a profit on excess interest. Though the USD is the world’s currency, the status of the yen means it is Asia’s currency.
Euro

The US Dollar

US Dollar Strength
President Richard Nixon ended the practice of using dollars for gold because he wasn’t sure if the United States had enough gold for all countries that might want to change their dollar reserves one day. In 1973, countries were given the option to fix their money to other strong currencies. However, the US dollar is strong, which explains its appeal as a reserve currency for governments around the world.
The World’s Ten Most Traded Currencies
Rank | Currency | ISO 4217 code (symbol) | % of daily trades (bought or sold) (April 2019) |
---|---|---|---|
1 | United States dollar | USD (US$) | 88.3% |
2 | Euro | EUR (€) | 32.3% |
3 | Japanese yen | JPY (¥) | 16.8% |
4 | Pound sterling | GBP (£) | 12.8% |
5 | Australian dollar | AUD (A$) | 6.8% |
6 | Canadian dollar | CAD (C$) | 5.0% |
7 | Swiss franc | CHF (CHF) | 5.0% |
8 | Renminbi | CNY (元) | 4.3% |
9 | Hong Kong dollar | HKD (HK$) | 3.5% |
10 | New Zealand dollar | NZD (NZ$) | 2.1% |
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