Barry Eichengreen and Chima Simpson-Bell on Currencies that Shine
IMF Podcasts
Source details
- Canonical URL
- Barry Eichengreen and Chima Simpson-Bell on Currencies that Shine
Other formats
Bibliographic details
- Guest: BARRY EICHENGREEN-podcast, CHIMA SIMPSON-BELL
Overview and participants
- The podcast was released on May 22, 2026.
- Guests and contributors:
- Barry Eichengreen — Professor of Economics and Political Science at the University of California, Berkeley.
- Chima Simpson-Bell — Economist in the IMF African Department.
- Serkan Arslanalp — IMF economist (identified as a co-author of the recent NBER paper).
- Bruce Edwards — Producer of the IMF podcast program.
- The discussion is grounded in a recent NBER paper that "tracks the dynamics of reserve currencies."
Key findings and observations
- Demand dynamics:
- "When global volatility increases, so does the demand for the dollar."
- "When countries face sanctions, they rush for gold."
- Reserve currency landscape:
- The dollar and gold have been "the most common reserve currencies for decades."
- "Surprising alternatives are emerging" in the landscape of reserve currencies.
- Research focus:
- The NBER paper by Eichengreen, Simpson-Bell, and Serkan Arslanalp analyzes the changing dynamics of reserve currencies.
Formats and supporting material
- A transcript of the episode is available.
- The podcast is part of the IMF's series of interviews and discussions featuring economists and researchers.
Related scheduling and series context (dates of other recent podcasts listed)
- June 23, 2026 — Jeffry Frieden: The Cost of Geoeconomic Coercion.
- June 11, 2026 — Trade among Geopolitical Rivals: Michele Ruta.
- June 4, 2026 — F&D Magazine / Political economy: Nationalizations Get Another Look: Nicholas Mulder.
- September 1, 2026 — F&D Magazine / Economic growth: Ha-Joon Chang on Infant Industry Protection.
- June 30, 2026 — Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas on the Story Behind the Number.