Discover what a national currency is, how it functions as legal tender, and its role in global trade and economic stability. Learn how currencies like the U.S. Dollar influence economies.

Fiat currencies are issued and regulated by a country’s central bank but are not backed by a commodity like gold. Fiat currency is a type of money that is created by a government and is not backed by ...

Investopedia contributors come from a range of backgrounds, and over 25 years there have been thousands of expert writers and editors who have contributed. Robert Kelly is managing director of XTS ...

Traveling internationally can come with a lot of additional fees that quickly add up on your vacation. From foreign transaction fees to currency conversion fees, there are so many things to look out ...

It was issued by a sovereign authority. It was recognized as legal tender for settling debts. It was backed, formally or implicitly, by the trust in a nation’s economy and governance. But in 2025, ...