The 10 Coins That Lost the Battle Against Time in 2025

Have you ever stopped to think about what happens when a currency simply loses credibility? Not overnight, but over years of economic mismanagement, wars, and misguided political decisions. I received a photo yesterday from someone traveling through Lebanon: holding a bundle of banknotes that looked like they came from a board game, more than 50,000 Lebanese pounds, equivalent to just R$ 3.00. Meanwhile, here in Brazil, we complain about the real trading at R$ 5.44 against the dollar, and we close 2024 as the worst currency among the main ones, with a decline of 21.52%. But honestly, this is little compared to what you will see next.

Why Do Some Currencies Simply Crash?

The story of a weak currency is never a coincidence. It is always the result of a perfect collapse of factors that destroy investor and public confidence. The main culprits are:

Uncontrolled hyperinflation: When prices double every month, not every year. In Brazil, 5% annual inflation already raises concerns. Now imagine countries where you need to update restaurant menus weekly because the value changes constantly.

Permanent political vacuum: Coups, internal conflicts, governments that don’t last. Without legal stability, investors rush to exit, and the currency becomes worthless paper.

International economic isolation: When sanctions hit, the country loses access to the global financial system. International trade collapses, and the local currency isn’t even useful for that.

Empty Central Bank: If there are not enough international reserves, neither dollars nor gold to support the currency, it simply plummets. It’s like trying to keep a price when there’s no market force backing you.

Capital exodus: When even citizens prefer to stash dollars under the mattress instead of trusting the national currency, you know the situation is terminal.

All of this together creates a scenario where the cheapest currency in the world relative to the real—and against any international reference—becomes a living portrait of an economy in collapse.

The Ranking: 10 Currencies That Shrunk Too Much

1. Lebanese Pound (LBP) — The Champion of Devaluation

1 million LBP = R$ 61.00

This is the ultimate example of what total collapse looks like. The official rate still says 1,507.5 pounds per dollar, but no one has traded at that price since 2020. In the real market, you need more than 90,000 pounds to buy 1 dollar. Banks limit withdrawals, stores refuse local currency, and even Uber drivers in Beirut ask for dollars.

2. Iranian Rial (IRR) — Victim of Sanctions

1 real = 7,751.94 rials

American sanctions have made the rial practically useless. With R$ 100, you are technically a “millionaire.” Young Iranians migrated to cryptocurrencies because Bitcoin and Ethereum have become more reliable than the country’s currency.

3. Vietnamese Dong (VND) — The Case of Deceptive Growth

Approximately 25,000 VND per dollar

Vietnam is growing economically, but the dong remains historically weak due to monetary policy decisions. When you withdraw 1 million dong at an ATM, you receive an amount that seems absurd to anyone. Great for tourists, bad for locals.

4. Laotian Kip (LAK)

About 21,000 LAK per dollar

Small economy, expensive imports, chronic inflation. At the border with Thailand, merchants prefer to accept baht because the kip is worthless outside.

5. Indonesian Rupiah (IDR)

Approximately 15,500 IDR per dollar

Indonesia is Southeast Asia’s largest economy, but the rupiah has never gained strength. Since 1998, it remains among the region’s weakest currencies. Result: Bali is very cheap for Brazilian tourists.

6. Uzbek Sum (UZS)

About 12,800 UZS per dollar

Recent economic reforms have not been enough. The sum still carries the weight of decades of economic isolation.

7. Guinean Franc (GNF)

Approximately 8,600 GNF per dollar

Guinea has abundant gold and bauxite, but political instability and corruption turn natural resources into wealth that never reaches the currency.

8. Paraguayan Guarani (PYG)

About 7.42 PYG per real

Our neighbor has a relatively calm economy, but the guarani is traditionally weak. For Brazilians, Ciudad del Este remains the go-to destination for cheap shopping.

9. Malagasy Ariary (MGA)

Approximately 4,500 MGA per dollar

Madagascar is among the poorest nations on the planet, and the ariary directly reflects this reality. Imports are very expensive, and international purchasing power is practically zero.

10. Burundian Franc (BIF)

About 550.06 BIF per real

Closing the list: a currency so devastated that large purchases require bags of physical cash. Burundi’s chronic political instability is printed on every note in circulation.

What Do We Learn From All This?

The ranking of the world’s cheapest currencies relative to the real is not just an academic exercise. It’s a map of economies that lost the war against inflation, corruption, and lack of political vision.

For investors or travelers:

1. Weak currencies can be traps: they seem like opportunities but reflect countries in deep crisis.

2. The bright side for travelers: destinations with unfavorable exchange rates for the local currency turn into paradises for those arriving with dollars or reais.

3. A bigger lesson in economics: observing how currencies collapse teaches more about inflation, governance, and trust than any lecture. The world’s cheapest currency relative to the real today could be you tomorrow if you don’t take care of the fundamentals.

Economic stability is not accidental. It is a direct result of good policies, institutional trust, and decisions that prioritize the long term. And that is the real lesson behind this list.