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Global Roles of Currencies

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  • Christian Thimann

Abstract

This paper presents a new concept – the global roles of currencies. The concept combines the domestic and international (cross‐border) use of currencies, and therefore captures the overall importance of different currencies in a globalized economy. The measure of a currency's global role is based on the size and stage of development of the underlying economy, as well as the size and stage of development of its financial markets and the scope of financial instruments available in this currency. The paper applies the concept to 22 currencies of advanced and emerging economies. The results confirm the well‐known ranking for the leading currencies – in particular the US dollar and the euro – but give considerably greater weight to currencies of emerging economies than the results obtained from the international debt market, which has so far been used as the basis for measuring the international role of currencies in capital markets. The paper also discusses this established measure in detail, arguing that in view of financial globalization, an indicator based on currency shares in the international debt market alone represents a decreasing share of international financial market activity, as this market excludes government debt, other domestic debt and equities, which are increasingly of interest to international investors. The paper also presents an empirical application of the new global concept to examine cross‐border portfolio holdings in debt and equity markets across advanced and emerging economies. It finds that the global role indicator is positively correlated with such holdings and, especially for emerging economies, fares better than the established international debt market indicator. The findings suggest a positive relationship between domestic financial development and international financial integration.

Suggested Citation

  • Christian Thimann, 2008. "Global Roles of Currencies," International Finance, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 11(3), pages 211-245, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:bla:intfin:v:11:y:2008:i:3:p:211-245
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1468-2362.2008.01226.x
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    Cited by:

    1. Ignazio Angeloni & Agnès Bénassy-Quéré & Benjamin Carton & Christophe Destais & Zsolt Darvas & Jean Pisani-Ferry & André Sapir & Shahin Vallée, . "Global currencies for tomorrow- a European perspective," Blueprints, Bruegel, number 592, December.
    2. Boubakri, Salem & Guillaumin, Cyriac, 2015. "Regional integration of the East Asian stock markets: An empirical assessment," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 136-160.
    3. Agnes Benassy-Quere & Jean Pisani-Ferry, 2011. "What International Monetary System for a Fast-Changing World Economy?," Book Chapters, in: Jack T. Boorman & André Icard (ed.), Reform of the International Monetary System: The Palais Royal Initiative, edition 1, chapter 21, pages 255-298, Emerging Markets Forum.
    4. Annina Kaltenbrunner & Photis Lysandrou, 2017. "The US Dollar's Continuing Hegemony as an International Currency: A Double-matrix Analysis," Development and Change, International Institute of Social Studies, vol. 48(4), pages 663-691, July.
    5. Tom Pak Wing Fong & Alfred Yun Tong Wong, 2020. "Safehavenness of the Chinese renminbi," International Finance, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 23(2), pages 215-233, August.
    6. World Bank, 2011. "Global Development Horizons 2011 : Multipolarity - The New Global Economy," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 2313, December.
    7. Hyoung-kyu Chey, 2013. "The Concepts, Consequences, and Determinants of Currency Internationalization," GRIPS Discussion Papers 13-03, National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies.
    8. Narkevich, Siarhei & Trunin, Pavel, 2013. "Prospects for the Russian Ruble as a Regional Reserve Currency," Published Papers dok2, Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration.
    9. Sergey Narkevich & Pavel Trunin, 2012. "Reserve Currencies: Factors of Evolution and their Role in the World Economy," Research Paper Series, Gaidar Institute for Economic Policy, issue 162P.
    10. Torsten Ehlers & Frank Packer, 2013. "FX and derivatives markets in emerging economies and the internationalisation of their currencies," BIS Quarterly Review, Bank for International Settlements, December.
    11. Pavel Trunin & Sergey Narkevich, 2013. "Prospects for the Russian Ruble to Become Regional Reserve Currency," Working Papers 118, Gaidar Institute for Economic Policy, revised 2015.
    12. John Ryan, 2009. "China and the Global Roles of Currencies," Working Papers 2009.8, International Network for Economic Research - INFER.
    13. Ryan, John, 2009. "China and the Reserve Currency Question," MPRA Paper 18218, University Library of Munich, Germany.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • F31 - International Economics - - International Finance - - - Foreign Exchange
    • F33 - International Economics - - International Finance - - - International Monetary Arrangements and Institutions
    • F37 - International Economics - - International Finance - - - International Finance Forecasting and Simulation: Models and Applications
    • G15 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - International Financial Markets
    • E58 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit - - - Central Banks and Their Policies

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