Abstract
The dominance of the US Dollar (USD) as the main global reserve currency will continue for the foreseeable future. Yet various events, including the most recent financial crisis, have pointed to the need for an alternative system that will strengthen market discipline rather than a system relying excessively on policy coordination. The rise of Asian economies led by China provides a unique opportunity for a regionalization of selected Asian currencies, namely, the settling of current account transactions among Asian economies using selected local currencies. To do so, relevant governments should be more proactive in setting up a market framework by following similar steps taken by China for RMB internationalization. This will provide an opportunity for the market to determine how fast it wants to shape an alternative international monetary system. Most likely, a tri-polar and two-tier system will emerge. As the medium of exchange and unit of account, the first tier, the USD, the Euro, and the RMB will dominate, forming a tri-polar system along each of which various local currencies will be used specific to the locality. As the store of value, the second tier, the USD will retain its hegemony for a few more decades. Gradually, these two tiers will merge.
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