Key Takeaways
- The Venezuelan bolĂvar has fallen the most so far in 2025 amid high inflation and uncertain oil revenue.
- Six of the 10 biggest currency drops were in African countries.
Can you count on the value of your currency holding relatively steady? The answer to this question will depend on where you live, along with economic circumstances.
The second graphic in our Digital Dollar Series, created in partnership with Plasma, highlights currencies that have seen the biggest drops so far in 2025.
When Currency Takes the Plunge
In the first half of 2025, the Venezuelan bolĂvar saw a large decline. Consider this: on January 1, it would have taken 52 Venezuelan Bolivars to buy one U.S. dollar. By June 27, you would need 106 Bolivars to buy one U.S. dollar.
The currency’s value has been quite volatile for decades. Most recently, the bolĂvar has been declining due to high inflation, dwindling dollar reserves, the end of a fixed exchange rate, and uncertain oil revenue amid U.S. sanctions.
| Currency Name | YTD Decline Against USD |
|---|---|
| 🇻🇪 Venezuelan BolĂvar | -51% |
| 🇸🇸 South Sudanese Pound | -15% |
| 🇦🇷 Argentine Peso | -13% |
| 🇹🇷 Turkish Lira | -11% |
| 🇱🇾 Libyan Dinar | -9% |
| 🇹🇿 Tanzanian Shilling | -8% |
| 🇱🇷 Liberian Dollar | -8% |
| 🇸🇷 Surinamese Dollar | -7% |
| 🇪🇹 Ethiopian Birr | -6% |
| 🇷🇼 Rwandan Franc | -5% |
Source:Â Trading Economics, author calculations. Year-to-date as of June 27, 2025 and excludes cryptocurrencies.
After the bolĂvar, the South Sudanese Pound has seen the second-largest currency drop. The IMF projects that South Sudan will be the worst performing economy in 2025.
South Sudan has faced disrupted oil production due to war in neighboring Sudan, through which it transports oil to international customers. This has led to a significant decline in export revenues estimated at $7 million per day. On top of this the country faces hyperinflation and political instability.
Finding Stability With Digital Dollars
For people living in countries with declining currencies, it’s not always easy to access more stable currencies like the U.S. dollar. Physical cash may be scarce, and countries may have limited foreign currency reserves.
This is where stablecoins come in. Pegged to assets like the U.S. dollar, stablecoins help people preserve the value of their money. With just a smartphone, even people without bank accounts can access them—providing a fast, accessible way to protect their finances.
Credit: Visual Capitalist
