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US Dollar Plunges to 20-Year Low in Global Reserves—What It Means for Crypto

US Dollar Plunges to 20-Year Low in Global Reserves—What It Means for Crypto

Published:
2026-01-09 09:08:00
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The greenback's dominance is cracking—and digital assets are positioned to pick up the pieces.

The Reserve Shake-Up

Central banks worldwide are quietly diversifying away from the dollar, pushing its share of global reserves to a two-decade low. That's not just a statistic—it's a tectonic shift in the foundation of global finance. When trust in traditional reserve assets erodes, alternative stores of value start looking a lot more attractive.

Digital Gold Rises

Bitcoin's fixed supply and decentralized nature make it a natural hedge against fiat debasement. Institutional players aren't just dipping toes anymore—they're building infrastructure. Meanwhile, stablecoins are eating traditional cross-border payments for breakfast, bypassing legacy SWIFT delays and correspondent banking fees.

The DeFi Angle

Decentralized finance protocols don't care about reserve currencies. They operate on cryptographic certainty, not central bank promises. Yield farming, liquidity pools, and algorithmic stablecoins create parallel financial systems that function 24/7—no Fed meetings required.

The Cynical Take

Traditional finance's response? Probably another committee meeting and a strongly-worded white paper about digital currency innovation—right after they finish lobbying against it.

Bottom Line

When the old guard stumbles, the new paradigm accelerates. Dollar weakness isn't just a forex story—it's rocket fuel for crypto adoption. The smart money's already positioning for what comes next.

The USD Reserve Setback: Is the Dollar No Longer a King?

us dollar currency bill note

Source: Getty Images

According to the latest update by the Kobeissi letter, a new striking development has taken place where the US dollar’s positioning as a global reserve asset has taken a toll. The KL data outlines how the US dollar reserve share has dropped to its lowest in 20 years. Moreover, this percentage has declined 18 percentage points in the last 18 years.

On the other hand, gold has emerged as a leading asset to take note of as of late, crowned as the best reserve asset to explore currently. The central bank’s constant spree of purchasing gold has led the asset to take the top spot, dethroning the king dollar.

BREAKING: The US Dollar now represents ~40% of global currency reserves, the lowest in at least 20 years.

This percentage has declined -18 percentage points over the last 10 years.

Over the same period, gold’s percentage has increased +12 points, to 28%, the highest since the… pic.twitter.com/M0BqI09iQ4

— The Kobeissi Letter (@KobeissiLetter) January 9, 2026

Will the Dollar Continue to Derail?

Per a recent Morgan Stanley update, the USD will continue to drop in 2026, with its DXY index falling as low as 94 before picking up pace in the second half of 2026.

(BFSI).

|Square

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