Argentina's Exchange Rate Market on Friday, August 21, 2026
The last trading day of the week showed a stable 'blue' dollar at 1,550 pesos for selling and 1,530 pesos for buying in Buenos Aires' financial district, according to reports from Clarín and TN. Meanwhile, the official dollar at Banco Nación remained unchanged at 1,515 pesos for selling and 1,465 pesos for buying, with a spread of 50 pesos.
The MEP dollar advanced 0.33% to close at 1,532.33 pesos for selling, while the CCL (Contado con Liquidación) rose to 1,596.59 pesos (according to TN) or 1,589.70 pesos (according to La Voz). The crypto dollar traded around 1,614 pesos at close, with a gap of 6.5% against the official rate. The credit card dollar remained at 1,969.50 pesos.
Exchange Rates for Friday, August 21
| Type | Buy | Sell |
|---|---|---|
| Official Dollar (BNA) | 1,465 | 1,515 |
| Blue Dollar (Buenos Aires) | 1,530 | 1,550 |
| Blue Dollar (Córdoba) | 1,534 | 1,566 |
| MEP Dollar | 1,531.87 | 1,532.33 |
| CCL Dollar | — | 1,596.59 |
| Crypto Dollar | — | 1,614.48 |
| Credit Card Dollar | — | 1,969.50 |
Country Risk and Reserves
The country risk index found some relief and fell 4.9% to 506 basis points, breaking a streak of 13 consecutive increases, as reported by Clarín. Over the week, the indicator accumulated a rise of 17.7%, but on Friday bonds rose by up to 2.2%. The Central Bank bought USD 23 million on the day (according to Clarín) and USD 89 million according to other sources (TN), accumulating purchases of USD 443 million in August and USD 13.77 billion in 2026.
The international reserves stand at USD 49.593 billion (as of August 18), according to the BCRA.
Dollar in Córdoba and Other Data
In Córdoba, the blue dollar sold for 1,566 pesos, unchanged from Thursday, as reported by La Voz. The official euro remained at 1,790 pesos for selling.
On Wall Street, stocks rose driven by US economic activity data, and Bitcoin surpassed USD 77,000, accumulating a gain of more than 20% in three days, according to Bloomberg.
Mass consumption showed a slowdown in its decline in July, with a monthly advance of 4.2% according to Scentia.
Context and Expectations
Deputy Economy Minister José Luis Daza highlighted exchange rate stability in the face of external shocks and assured that the disinflation process will continue. The government's strategy to control the dollar includes a swap of BCRA bonds with the Treasury for USD 502 million to expand intervention capacity, according to a report by Max Capital cited by TN.
The market remains attentive to the 2027 elections and the evolution of the country risk index, which although it fell on Friday, accumulates a significant rise in August.