over a short period of time. Money, on the other hand, also functions as a store of value, until what is wanted becomes available. Mutual impedance with store-of-value function An ideal medium of exchange is spread throughout the marketplace to allow individuals with exchange potential to buy and sell. When money serves the function of a store of value, as fiat money does, there are conflicting drivers of monetary policy. This is because a store of value can become more valuable if it is scarce in the marketplace. When the medium of exchange is scarce, traders will pay to rent it (interest), which acts as an impedance to trade. In stable or deflationary environments, interest is a net transfer of wealth from debtor to creditor with the opposite transfer under inflationary environments. Medium of exchange and measure of value Fiat currencies function as money with "no intrinsic value" but rather exchange values which facilitate a measurable value of exchange. The market measures or sets the real value of various goods and services using the medium of exchange as a unit of measure i.e., standard or the yard stick of measurement of wealth. There is no other alternative to the mechanism used by the market to set, determine, or measure the value of various goods and services. Determination of price is an essential condition for justice in exchange, efficient allocation of resources, economic growth, welfare and justice. The most important and essential function of a medium of exchange is to be widely acceptable and have relatively stable purchasing power (real value). The following characteristics are essential: Value common assets Common and accessible Constant utility Low cost of preservation Transportability Divisibility High market value in relation to volume and weight Recognisability Resistance to counterfeiting To serve as a measure of value, a medium of exchange requires constant inherent value of its own or must be firmly linked to a definite basket of goods and services. Furthermore, constant intrinsic value and stable purchasing power are needed. Gold was long popular as a medium of exchange and store of value because it was inert, meaning it was convenient to move due to even small amounts of gold having a considerable and constant value. Some critics of the prevailing system of fiat money argue that fiat money is the root cause of the continuum of economic crises, since it leads to the dominance of fraud,