Exchange Rate History
Decade-long history and event-by-event analysis of 28 major currency, crypto, and metal pairs.
Every entry includes a 10-year snapshot pulled live from market data, the events that drove major moves, and practical takeaways for travelers and senders.
Currency pairs
Major forex pairs with decade-long event analysis
USD/EUR history
EUR/USD is the world's most-traded currency pair, accounting for roughly 23% of global forex volume. Over the last decade (2016–2026), the pair has swung between roughly 0.95 and 1.25 — a 30%+ range driven by US-versus-Eurozone interest rate cycles, energy crises, and major geopolitical events.
GBP/USD history
GBP/USD ("Cable" in forex slang, named for the 19th-century transatlantic telegraph cable) has been one of the most politically-driven major pairs of the last decade. Brexit (2016) triggered a sudden 20% devaluation that has never fully recovered.
USD/JPY history
USD/JPY is dominated by the US-Japan 10-year yield spread. Over 2016–2026, the pair traded between 102 (in COVID safe-haven rally) and 162 (after the BoJ's 2022–2024 yield-curve-control crisis).
AUD/USD history
AUD/USD is the world's premier "commodity currency" pair, correlated with iron ore, copper, and global growth cycles. Over 2016–2026, the pair traded between 0.55 and 0.81 — a 47% range driven by the China commodity cycle, RBA-Fed rate differentials, and global risk appetite.
USD/CHF history
USD/CHF is one of the most dramatic G10 pairs of the modern era, defined by the 2015 SNB floor abandonment — the most dramatic single-day move in major-currency FX history. Over 2016–2026, USD/CHF has traded between 0.78 (2022 European energy crisis) and 1.03 (2017 dollar strength).
USD/CAD history
USD/CAD ("Loonie" in forex slang) is the world's second-most-traded commodity-currency pair after AUD/USD. Over 2016–2026, the pair traded between 1.21 and 1.46, driven primarily by WTI crude oil prices, BoC-Fed rate divergence, and US trade-policy headlines.
EUR/JPY history
EUR/JPY is the premier "risk barometer" cross — combining a risk-sensitive European currency with the leading carry-trade funding currency. Over 2016–2026, the pair traded between 109 (March 2020 risk-off panic) and 175 (July 2024 pre-carry-unwind peak).
EUR/GBP history
EUR/GBP is the cross between the UK's and Europe's currencies — a pair dominated by Brexit, ECB-BoE policy divergence, and inter-European trade flows. Over 2016–2026, EUR/GBP traded between 0.82 (early 2022 BoE hawkish lead) and 0.94 (October 2022 Truss crisis).
USD/TRY history
USD/TRY is the most dramatic major-currency story of the last decade — the Turkish Lira has lost over 90% of its USD value since 2018, driven by unorthodox monetary policy, political pressure on central-bank independence, and chronic current-account deficits. The pair went from 4 (early 2018) to over 35 in 2025 — among the worst-performing G20 currencies on record.
USD/MXN history
USD/MXN is the world's most-traded emerging-market currency pair, dominated by the US-Mexico economic relationship — over 80% of Mexican exports go to the US under USMCA. Over 2016–2026, USD/MXN traded between 16 (March 2024 "Superpeso" peak) and 25.7 (April 2020 COVID panic).
USD/INR history
USD/INR has shown one of the most consistent multi-decade trends in emerging-market FX — INR has weakened gradually but persistently against USD over 30+ years. Over 2016–2026, USD/INR moved from 67 to over 88 — a 31% INR depreciation.
USD/CNY history
USD/CNY is the most policy-managed major currency pair — the People's Bank of China sets a daily reference rate ("the fix") and allows trading within a ±2% band around it. Over 2016–2026, the pair traded between 6.3 (2018 peak yuan strength) and 7.34 (2024 weakness peak).
USD/BRL history
USD/BRL is one of the most volatile major emerging-market pairs, swinging between 3.0 and 6.0 over the past decade. The Brazilian Real is heavily exposed to commodity cycles (Brazil exports soy, iron ore, oil, coffee), Brazilian political news, and Banco Central do Brasil rate decisions.
USD/ZAR history
USD/ZAR is one of the world's most volatile major emerging-market pairs, with daily ranges often 1-2% and rare episodes of 5%+ moves. The South African Rand is a textbook commodity currency (gold, platinum, coal exports) and an EM risk-sentiment proxy.
USD/RUB history
USD/RUB has been the most consequential geopolitical FX story of the 2020s. The Russian Ruble experienced multiple dramatic episodes: 2014 oil crash (RUB lost 50%), 2022 invasion of Ukraine (RUB initially collapsed 50%, then paradoxically rallied to multi-year highs), and the ongoing sanctions-era partial currency-control regime.
USD/HKD history
USD/HKD is the most boring major-currency pair on record — by design. The Hong Kong Dollar has been pegged to USD via the Linked Exchange Rate System since 1983, trading exclusively within a 7.75–7.85 band.
USD/SGD history
USD/SGD is unique among major-currency pairs — Singapore manages SGD against a trade-weighted basket of currencies (S$NEER), not against a single peg or a free float. The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) adjusts the slope, midpoint, and width of the band twice a year.
USD/PHP history
USD/PHP is the world's premier OFW-remittance corridor pair — $38B+ in annual diaspora transfers flow from USD-earning Filipinos abroad back to PHP-denominated Philippine households. Over 2016–2026, USD/PHP traded between 46 (2017) and 59 (2024 peak), reflecting gradual peso depreciation against USD.
AUD/USD history
AUD/USD ("Aussie" in forex slang) is the world's most-traded commodity-currency pair — heavily correlated with iron ore, coal, and Chinese industrial demand. Over 2016–2026, AUD/USD traded between 0.55 (March 2020 COVID low) and 0.81 (early 2018 peak).
USD/KRW history
USD/KRW is one of Asia's most-traded emerging-market currency pairs — heavily linked to Korean technology exports (Samsung, SK Hynix, Hyundai), semiconductor cycles, and global risk sentiment. Over 2016–2026, USD/KRW traded between 1,090 (early 2018 KRW strength) and 1,440 (October 2022 USD peak).
EUR/CAD history
EUR/CAD is a major non-USD cross combining a European reserve currency with the world's premier oil-export commodity currency. Over 2016–2026, EUR/CAD traded between 1.38 (early 2018 EUR weakness vs commodity-strong CAD) and 1.60 (October 2022 ECB-BoC divergence peak).
USD/THB history
USD/THB ("Thai baht" in trading) has been one of Asia's most-resilient emerging-market currencies over the past decade. Over 2016–2026, USD/THB traded between 28 (early 2020 baht strength) and 37 (late 2022 USD peak).
USD/IDR history
USD/IDR is Southeast Asia's largest emerging-market currency pair by volume, reflecting Indonesia's status as the region's largest economy. Over 2016–2026, USD/IDR traded between 13,000 (2017 strength) and 16,400 (mid-2024 weakness).
NZD/USD history
NZD/USD ("Kiwi" in forex slang) is the second of the major commodity-currency pairs after AUD/USD — heavily linked to global dairy prices, Chinese consumer demand, and global risk sentiment. Over 2016–2026, NZD/USD traded between 0.55 (March 2020 COVID low) and 0.74 (early 2021 peak).
USD/SAR history
USD/SAR is one of the world's most stable currency pairs — by design. The Saudi Riyal has been pegged to USD at 3.75 SAR per USD since June 1986, defended by SAMA (Saudi Central Bank) using massive oil-export reserves.
Cryptocurrency
BTC, ETH price history with halving and ETF milestones
BTC/USD history
Bitcoin's 17-year history is the most dramatic asset-price story in modern finance. From sub-$1 in 2010 to $109,000+ in 2025, BTC has compounded at staggering annualized returns punctuated by multiple 70-90% drawdowns.
ETH/USD history
Ethereum's history since its 2015 launch has been one of the most consequential in crypto. ETH/USD has gone from $0.30 at ICO to over $4,800 at peak, with the 2022 "Merge" transitioning Ethereum from proof-of-work to proof-of-stake — the largest technical change to any major blockchain in history.
Precious metals
Long-term gold and metals analysis