What is fungible? Definition and examples
Cross-listed stocks, though, are those that can be substituted for identical counterparts. These securities are traded on a variety of exchanges, both domestic and international. It’s also the same principle that makes non-fungible tokens (NFTs) non-fungible. Yes, they are digital items that can be easily reproduced, but by permanently tagging them ledger nano s wallet review 2021 with identification numbers, they also become wholly unique. So, even if you have 15 copies of an identical art NFT, those digital items have gone from fungible to non-fungible if they’re each given a unique identifier and issued as part of a series.
Fungibles and Enumeration
Gold is naturally fungible because one ounce of gold is equivalent to another ounce of gold. Gold bars may be given unique serial numbers and purchased by particular investors while still being held by a custodian. Under this arrangement, gold is said to be allocated. Allocated gold holders generally have better legal protections in the event of a bankruptcy. They own particular bars of gold, which are not considered to be fungible goods. On the other hand, diamonds and other gems are not perfectly fungible because their varying cuts, colors, grades, and sizes make it difficult to find several diamonds expected to have the same value.
In finance and investing, commodities, common shares, options, and dollar bills are examples of fungible goods. The term “fungible” is not identical with barter or liquidity. A good traded by barter is not necessarily equivalent to the exchanged commodity in units. In other words, it is possible to barter products of different or incomparable value.
Final Words
Liquidity means how easily a good or commodity can be exchanged for other goods or fiat currency. Fungible assets require one unit to be equal in value to another unit of the same asset in the same quantity. But, when pressed into bars by the various world governments who own this particular gold and stamped with a unique identifier, each gold bar becomes non-fungible.
As an example of a serial task that is not fungible, suppose there was a group of nine newly pregnant women. After one month, these women would have experienced a total of nine months of pregnancy, but a complete baby would not have been formed. It doesn’t matter to Person 12 best practices for mobile application testing o2i A if they’re repaid with a different $50 bill if Person A lends Person B a $50 bill. Person A can be repaid with two $20 bills and one $10 bill and still be satisfied because the total equals $50. In order for Bitcoin to become a success as a globally accepted method of payment.
- But, when pressed into bars by the various world governments who own this particular gold and stamped with a unique identifier, each gold bar becomes non-fungible.
- Interchangeable goods are fungible; unique goods are non-fungible.
- Imagine a 100 foot ditch needs to be dug, and a worker can dig a 10 foot ditch in one shift.
- In terms of ownership, cars are not fungible, but the gasoline used to power them is.
- The idea of fungibility is more frequently confused with the ability to exchange a specific item for any other goods.
What does the financial term fungible mean?
If two manufactured products are fungible, they are treated as commodities and must compete on the basis of availability and/or price. One bar of gold must be tradable or exchangeable for another bar of gold, or two bars that are half the size and weight. Even on a street of identical houses, each house experiences different levels of noise and traffic, is in varying states of repair, and has unique views of surrounding areas. In this case, each worker is able to complete his or her piece of the task without interfering with the other workers. More importantly, each digger is not dependent on the results of any of the others to complete his or her piece of the completed project.
It certainly won’t be an easy process given how determined the major players like Coinbase are to monitor everything their clients do with their cryptocurrencies. Fiat currency is the best example for most people to get their heads around the concept of fungibility. A 20 EUR bill is fungible since it can be easily interchanged with two 10 EUR bills or four 5 EUR bills.
Furthermore, there are other factors to consider when determining whether a fungible commodity is appropriate for substitution. One can be substituted for another without fuss or penalty. Stock shares listed on multiple exchanges are an example of fungible assets because they provide the same ownership interest regardless of who purchases them or where they’re purchased. This strengthens the reliability of the asset in question and it can be an important consideration for the average investor. Examples of fungible goods include oil, bonds, gold and other precious metals, money, and unopened items of consumer products on store shelves such as boxes of oatmeal or cereal.
Fungibility is one of coinmama review for novice traders those measuring sticks that separates Bitcoins and other cryptocurrencies from fiat currencies. Money has a set value and is considered like for like in a value transaction. They aren’t identical, but they are so similar that there’s no reason not to accept one for another. They are effectively identical, even if they have different serial numbers and different ages. They’re considered identical for the purposes of valuation. Something is fungible if one unit of that product is substantially equivalent to another unit of the same product that has the same quality at a specific time and place.
The Motley Fool reaches millions of people every month through our premium investing solutions, free guidance and market analysis on Fool.com, top-rated podcasts, and non-profit The Motley Fool Foundation. Non-fungible tasks, however, are usually highly serial in nature and cannot be completed before the earlier pieces or steps are done. If you went to a BMW dealer and swapped her vehicle for another brand new red BMW 3 series, and returned that one to Alice, she would probably not be happy. Now imagine Alice lends you her car, a brand new red BMW 3 series. In theory, a brand new car is interchangeable for another car of the same brand and model.