A Future Brics Currency as a Competitor to the US Dollar
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.69968/ijisem.2025v4i3241-249Keywords:
BRICS currency, De-dollarization, US dollar, intra-BRICS trade, global financial systemAbstract
US dollar has been controlling the international financial system since it has been the major reserve currency, as well as the mode of international trade. The BRICS alliance, however, consisting of Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa And lately added members has suggested an international currency to break this hegemony, due to geopolitical tensions and economic aspirations as well as the urge to de-dollarize. This paper looks at the viability, incentive and obstacles of a possible BRICS currency, evaluating its economics and geopolitical consequences. Based on the economic muscles of the BRICS countries and taking into account the fact that they comprise more than 30 percent of the global GDP, the article examines how a single currency would be able to advance intrabloc trade, decrease reliance on dollar, and transform international financial balances. It also brings forth major challenges such as economic heterogeneity, technological institutional specifications, as well as the deep-rooted global dominance of the dollar. Although a BRICS currency would promote more independence and hit at the established financial playing field, the success of such currency requires the necessity to eliminate the internal inequity and acquire the confidence of the foreign market, and this may take a long time to occur, indicating that the global economic leaders will not change the global position overnight.
References
[1] Aggarwal, P. (2020). On de-risking and de-dollarizing intra-BRICS trade via smart contracts. BRICS Journal of Economics, 1(4), 54-69.https://doi.org/10.38050/2712-7508-2020-1-4-6
[2] Bertaut, C., von Beschwitz, B., & Curcuru, S. (2021). The international role of the U.S. dollar. Federal Reserve.https://doi.org/10.17016/2380-7172.2998
[3] Bradlow, D. (2023). A BRICS currency is unlikely to dislodge dollar any time soon - but it signifies growing challenge to established economic order. The Conversation.https://theconversation.com/a-brics-currency-is-unlikely-to-dislodge-dollar-any-time-soon-but-it-signifies-growing-challenge-to-established-economic-order-206565
[4] Ciuriak, D. (2023). Expansion aside, the BRICS' path to growth is unchanged: It's technology. Centre for International Governance Innovation.https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4553375
[5] Coughlin, C. (2023). A BRICS currency could shake the dollar's dominance. Foreign Policy.https://foreignpolicy.com/2023/04/24/brics-currency-end-dollar-dominance-united-states-russia-china/
[6] Das, S. (2024). BRICS currency may not upstage the US dollar anytime soon. The Diplomat.https://thediplomat.com/2024/12/brics-currency-may-not-upstage-the-us-dollar-anytime-soon/
[7] Dyer, P. (2024). Can BRICS really drop the dollar? Middle East Council on Global Affairs.https://mecouncil.org/blog_posts/can-brics-really-drop-the-dollar/
[8] Fliagin, D., & Abdulganiyu, M. (2025). Impact of intra-BRICS trade on the share of United States dollar in international reserve composition. BRICS Journal of Economics, 6(2), 5-20.https://doi.org/10.3897/brics-econ.6.e143810
[9] Froman, M. (2025). What is the BRICS group and why is it expanding? Council on Foreign Relations.https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/what-brics-group-and-why-it-expanding
[10] Gedikli, A., & Erdogan, S. (2025). Can BRICS currency dethrone the dollar?: Myth or reality? In Changing the global political economy: BRICS countries and alternative relations strategies (pp. 275-306). IGI Global.https://doi.org/10.4018/979-8-3693-7393-4.ch009
[11] Greene, R. (2023). The difficult realities of the BRICS' dedollarization efforts-and the renminbi's role. Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.https://carnegieendowment.org/2023/12/05/difficult-realities-of-brics-dedollarization-efforts-and-renminbi-s-role-pub-91173
[12] Liu, Z. Z., & Papa, M. (2022). Can BRICS de-dollarize the global financial system? Cambridge University Press.https://www.cambridge.org/core/elements/can-brics-dedollarize-the-global-financial-system/0AEF98D2F232072409E9556620AE09B0
[13] Lukonga, I. (2023). Monetary policy implications of central bank digital currencies. International Monetary Fund Working Paper, 2023(060).https://doi.org/10.59184/sa.052
[14] Monteiro de Carvalho, C. (2024). De-dollarisation: More BRICS in the wall. ING Think.https://think.ing.com/articles/de-dollarisation-more-brics-in-the-wall/
[15] Oganes, L., & Chandan, M. (2025). De-dollarization: The end of dollar dominance? J.P. Morgan.https://www.jpmorgan.com/insights/global-research/currencies/de-dollarization
[16] Othman, A. (2024). BRICS and the challenge to the U.S. economic hegemony.https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.18546.00967
[17] Petry, J., & Nölke, A. (2024). BRICS and the global financial order: Liberalism contested? Cambridge University Press.https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009498739
[18] Pistilli, M. (2024). How would a new BRICS currency affect the US dollar? Investing News Network.https://investingnews.com/brics-currency/
[19] Saaida, M. (2023). The BRICS' move away from US dollar: The implications for international politics. International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research and Development, 10(7), 35-39.https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10700468
[20] Saaida, M. (2024). BRICS Plus: De-dollarization and global power shifts in new economic landscape. BRICS Journal of Economics, 5(1), 13-33.https://doi.org/10.3897/brics-econ.5.e117828
[21] Sönmez, A., Uysal, D., & Amirzai, F. R. (2025). Importance of BRICS countries in the world economy. In Changing the global political economy: BRICS countries and alternative relations strategies (pp. 1-48). IGI Global.https://doi.org/10.4018/979-8-3693-7393-4.ch001
[22] Umutlu, H., & Terzioglu, H. C. (2025). Reshaping global energy policy through BRICS+ and seeking a new equilibrium in energy markets. In Changing the global political economy: BRICS countries and alternative relations strategies (pp. 345-384). IGI Global.https://doi.org/10.4018/979-8-3693-7393-4.ch011
[23] Vaidyanathan, R. (2025). Trade: BRICS expansion into payment systems poses threat to dominance of US dollar. International Bar Association.https://www.ibanet.org/BRICS
[24] Vámos, M. S. (2024). Can the BRICS challenge the dollar hegemony?: The rise and fall of the dollar. Atlantic Forum.https://www.atlantic-forum.com/our-views/can-the-brics-challenge-the-dollar-hegemony-the-rise-and-fall-of-the-dollar
[25] Yu, S. Z. (2023). Can BRICS dethrone the US dollar? It'll be an uphill climb. Al Jazeera.https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2023/8/24/can-brics-dethrone-the-us-dollar-itll-be-an-uphill-climb-experts-say
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Akhilesh Daljeet Bacchoo

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Re-users must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use. This license allows for redistribution, commercial and non-commercial, as long as the original work is properly credited.