According to a report by economists of the International Monetary Fund and the University of California at Berkeley, gold not only did not leave the international reserve currency, but also significantly increased its performance, as the gold reserves of the world's central banks increased after the global financial crisis of 2008-2009. Experts note that in the third quarter of 2022, leading central banks bought more gold than in any other quarter for 55 years. The main buyers at the same time were banks of developing countries, such as Russia, China, India, Turkey, Argentina, Hungary and Belarus. Among the main reasons for the increase in purchases, analysts note the popularity of gold as a traditional and safe means of saving at a time when a number of countries are subject to financial sanctions. An interesting fact is that Russia, Iran and other countries that are subject to US sanctions can now combine blockchain technologies with gold to launch a digital currency that can compete with the dollar. Blockchain will allow these countries to make transactions with gold without actually redirecting coins or bullion. Moreover, gold today is the only significant asset that is not controlled by any country and that cannot be forged. It is also the only asset that largely guarantees financial confidentiality.
