Hyperinflation

Hyperinflation is more or less by definition the terminal stage of any fiat currency. In hyperinflation money loses most of its value practically overnight. Hyperinflation is often the result of increasing regular inflation to the point where all confidence in money is lost, but there can also be other immediate causes. It is important to understand that in a fiat monetary system, the value of money is based on confidence, and once that confidence is gone, money irreversibly becomes worthless, regardless of its scarcity.

It is often argued that all fiat money eventually will become worthless. This has certainly been the case in the past. On the other hand it could also be argued that the current fiat monetary systems have not led to hyperinflation, and it seems unlikely that they will. It is not a very convincing argument, though, as hyperinflation never seems likely until it is well underway. Looking at the past, there is certainly a lot of evidence that all fiat money will eventually lose its value.