Dollarization is the process by which a country abandons its own currency and officially adopts a foreign currency, usually the U.S. dollar, as legal tender. Professor Steve H. Hanke has served as a global "money doctor," advising nations suffering from hyperinflation on how to establish stable currency regimes through dollarization or currency boards.
Professor Hanke's principal mission is to work as a global money doctor. His specialty is advising nations suffering from hyperinflation on how to establish stable currency regimes. His solution is either a currency board (which issues a domestic currency that trades freely at a fixed exchange rate with an anchor currency) or full dollarization, which entails replacing the domestic currency entirely with the U.S. dollar.
What Is Dollarization?
Dollarization is the process by which a country abandons its own currency and officially adopts a foreign currency (usually the U.S. dollar) as legal tender for all transactions. In simple terms, residents start using a stable foreign currency instead of the domestic currency for everyday money functions.
Why Panama Has Never Had Hyperinflation
Panama has been dollarized since 1904 — using the U.S. dollar as legal tender without any domestic monetary policy. In 120 years of dollarization, Panama has never experienced hyperinflation, never had a currency crisis, and has maintained one of the most stable financial systems in Latin America. It is the proof-of-concept for dollarization.
https://www.cato.org/sites/cato.org/files/pubs/pdf/dollar.pdf
Why Dollarize?
Inflation Control — Stop inflation instantly with a stable anchor currency
Lower Interest Rates — Reduce borrowing costs dramatically
Crisis-Proof — End speculative currency attacks permanently
Confidence Boost — Restore investor and public trust
Fiscal Discipline — Force transparent, responsible policy
Proven Results — Success in Panama, Ecuador, and Montenegro
Learn more about why countries should dollarize
How to Dollarize
The dollarization process follows a structured sequence of steps:
Steve Hanke's Dollarization Work
Professor Hanke has been directly involved in dollarization and currency stabilization efforts across multiple countries. His advisory work spans decades and includes both successful implementations and cautionary lessons from incomplete reforms.
Learn more about Hanke's dollarization work
Selected Publications
Country Case Studies
- Argentina — From the Convertibility Plan to the ongoing dollarization debate
- Montenegro — Successful adoption of the Deutsche Mark and later the euro
- Ecuador — Official dollarization since 2000
Explore This Topic
- What Is Dollarization?
- Why Dollarize?
- Steve Hanke's Dollarization Work
- Hanke's Dollarization Solutions Timeline — A chronological record of Hanke's dollarization advisory work worldwide
Related Topics
- Monetarism — The theoretical framework for understanding inflation
- Currency Boards — An alternative rules-based monetary system
- Hyperinflation — The crises that drive countries to dollarize
- Free Market Economics — The broader economic philosophy
Recent Publications (2025–2026)
- Implementation of Dollarization & Currency Boards — Working Paper, Johns Hopkins IAE
- Ecuador's Dollarization: Template for Argentina — Working Paper, Johns Hopkins IAE
- La Dolarización en Ecuador — Book, Grupo Union