Saudi Journal of Economics and Finance (SJEF)
Volume-9 | Issue-08 | 348-378
Original Research Article
Evaluating Global Finance Depolarization: Euro's Chance to Overtake US Dollar as Leading Reserve Currency Despite Competition from Chinese Yuan and Emerging Alternatives
Olawale C. Olawore, Taiwo R. Aiki, Oluwatobi J. Banjo, Victor O. Okoh, Tunde O. Olafimihan
Published : Aug. 26, 2025
Abstract
The global financial system is now undergoing considerable instability, raising critical issues about the durability of reserve currencies. This article examines the probability of the euro surpassing the United States dollar as the predominant reserve currency, particularly in the context of heightened economic volatility and the emergence of new rivals, such as the Chinese yuan, striving for more significance in the global market. This paper specifically examines the possibility of the euro surpassing the United States dollar. This article employs a mixed-methods approach to evaluate the competitiveness, credibility, and limitations of predominant reserve currencies. It does this by integrating actual reserve data from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) with theoretical concepts derived from dominant stability theory, network effects, and institutional trust. The data indicate that the dollar's supremacy has been progressively declining, from over 70% of global reserves in 2000 to around 58% by mid-2024. Robust legal frameworks, monetary credibility, and comprehensive financial markets collectively enhance the prosperity of the euro, which constitutes almost twenty. (20%) percent of the total. The Eurozone, meanwhile, persists in facing challenges such as the lack of a fiscal union and the disunity of political leadership within the bloc. The Chinese yuan accounts for only four (4%) percent of world foreign currency reserves, notwithstanding programs like the Belt and Road and enhanced central bank swap lines promoting its utilization. China's persistent objective of sustaining a depreciated yuan to bolster its international economic competitiveness presents a considerable obstacle. Because the yuan cannot be converted into other currencies and there is uncertainty over its value over the long term, foreign central banks are unable to maintain considerable reserves of the yuan. The continued existence of concerns over capital restrictions, decreased financial transparency, and political participation has led to widespread pessimism regarding the Yuan’s potential to continue functioning as a reserve currency despite these factors. Based on what the study found, it seems unlikely that there will ever be a single currency that is the most important one in the world. This suggests that there is a multipolar system in which the euro, the yuan, and digital currencies like the e-CNY and the digital euro all function together in a framework for international monetary policy that is becoming more decentralized and strategically split. These changes have big effects that might change not just how the world is run but also the trade strategy and macroeconomic policy that are already in place. These changes also make life harder for civilizations that are in other regions of the planet.