The United States is preparing the most extensive redesign of its national currency in recent decades. The process, which aims to protect the dollar’s status as the world’s reserve currency, will begin with a $10 bill and last almost a decade. This was reported by the US Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP).
The Advanced Counterfeit Deterrents Committee (ACD), which has been overseeing this process since 2011, has determined a clear sequence for the release of new banknotes. The main criterion for the sequence is minimizing the risks of counterfeiting.
The expected schedule for the introduction into circulation looks like this:
- 2026: $10;
- 2028: $50;
- 2030: $20;
- 2032: $5;
- 2034: $100.
The redesign is not a matter of beauty, but of national security. As technology advances, criminals are increasingly able to create increasingly sophisticated counterfeits, requiring new levels of protection for American currency.
The new bills have taken more than a decade of research to develop. The bills will incorporate exclusive, state-of-the-art security features (both visible and hidden) that will make them invulnerable to counterfeiters. This process requires not only new design solutions but also the purchase of specialized equipment and unique materials.
A critical step in the preparation is adapting the infrastructure. There are more than 10 million cash-handling devices (ATMs, terminals, and counting machines) worldwide that accept US dollars.
Before the new bills enter people’s wallets, the Bureau provides samples to manufacturers of banking equipment. This is necessary to set up the equipment to correctly recognize the latest security features. The goal is to ensure that the updated currency will work without disruptions in commerce from day one.
The US government deliberately does not reveal the appearance of the new dollars in advance. The official presentation of the design will take place only 6-8 months before the bill is released into circulation.