## BRICS Advances Toward De-Dollarization with Innovative Gold-Backed Currency

The BRICS collective has taken a significant step in its financial independence strategy by unveiling a functional prototype of a digital currency called "Unit," fully backed by precious metals and local currencies. This exchange instrument represents one of the most concrete moves by the bloc toward global de-dollarization.

### Structure and Composition of the "Unit"

The BRICS group's proposed gold-backed currency is based on a carefully balanced reserve basket. The model envisions a structure where 40% corresponds to physical gold and the remaining 60% is evenly distributed among the five main regional currencies: the Brazilian real, the Chinese yuan, the Indian rupee, the Russian ruble, and the South African rand.

The Institute of Economic Strategies Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IRIAS), the institution leading the project, issued an initial batch of 100 units on October 31. Each digital currency was originally linked to the equivalent of 1 gram of gold, establishing a clear reference point for its valuation.

### Market Value Dynamics and Behavior

The valuation of these gold currencies experiences daily fluctuations determined by the performance of the component currencies against precious metals. According to data recorded as of December 4, market volatility adjusted the reserve portfolio to the equivalent of 98.23 grams of gold, meaning each unit maintains a practical value of approximately 0.9823 grams of gold.

### Strategic Implications

Although this initiative has not yet gained official policy status within the bloc, its existence marks a tangible milestone in BRICS' trajectory toward alternative payment systems to the US dollar. The creation of a digital asset backed by gold and regional currencies signals the group's determination to build independent financial infrastructures that challenge global monetary hegemony.