Valiutas

Valiutas is a term used in several Baltic languages to denote currency—the money used as a medium of exchange in an economy. It covers physical coins and banknotes as well as digital forms of money and the monetary value recognized by law. In modern usage, valiutas are issued by a country’s central bank or monetary authority and serve as legal tender for pricing goods, paying debts, and storing value.

Most valiutas are fiat currencies, not backed by a physical commodity but by government decree and public confidence in the issuer. Their value arises from supply and demand, monetary policy, inflation controls, and exchange rate arrangements. Exchange rates between valiutas determine how easily one currency can be traded for another and influence international trade and investment.

In the Baltic states, valiutas include the euro (EUR), which has been the official currency in the region since the early 2010s (Estonia adopted the euro in 2011, Latvia in 2014, Lithuania in 2015). Prior to euro adoption, Latvia used the lats, Lithuania the litas, and Estonia the kroon. In addition to cash, digital payments, electronic money, and discussions around central bank digital currencies are shaping how valiutas are used and regulated today.