The Petrodollar System Explained: What It Is, How It Worked, and What’s Replacing It

The petrodollar system gave the US dollar its dominance for 50 years — every country needed dollars to buy oil, and oil exporters recycled those dollars back into US Treasuries. That arrangement is now shifting. Here is how the system worked, why it is under stress, and why central banks are choosing gold as the alternative reserve asset.
