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In economics, a medium of exchange is any item that is widely acceptable in exchange for goods and services. [1] In modern economies, the most commonly used medium of exchange is currency . Most forms of money are categorised as mediums of exchange, including commodity money , representative money , cryptocurrency , and most commonly fiat money .
Money is any item or verifiable record that is generally accepted as payment for goods and services and repayment of debts, such as taxes, in a particular country or socio-economic context. [1] [2] [3] The primary functions which distinguish money are: medium of exchange, a unit of account, a store of value and sometimes, a standard of deferred ...
A currency [a] is a standardization of money in any form, in use or circulation as a medium of exchange, for example banknotes and coins. [1] [2] A more general definition is that a currency is a system of money in common use within a specific environment over time, especially for people in a nation state. [3]
Money's usefulness as a store of value declines if there are significant changes in the general level of prices. [7] So if inflation rises, purchasing power declines and a cost is placed on those holding money. [8] Workers who are paid in a currency which is experiencing high-inflation will prefer to spend their income quickly instead of saving ...
Monetary economics is the branch of economics that studies the different theories of money: it provides a framework for analyzing money and considers its functions ( as medium of exchange, store of value, and unit of account), and it considers how money can gain acceptance purely because of its convenience as a public good. [1]
Traders generally negotiate through a medium of credit or exchange, such as money. Though some economists characterize barter (i.e. trading things without the use of money [1]) as an early form of trade, money was invented before written history began. Consequently, any story of how money first developed is mostly based on conjecture and ...
The history of money is the development over time of systems for the exchange, storage, and measurement of wealth. Money is a means of fulfilling these functions indirectly and in general rather than directly, as with barter. Money may take a physical form as in coins and notes, or may exist as a written or electronic account.
In such cases, money ceases to be the universal medium of exchange or standard of value. Money may be in such short supply that it becomes an item of barter itself rather than the means of exchange. Barter may also occur when people cannot afford to keep money (as when hyperinflation quickly devalues it).