Why $100 bills have become one of America's top exports Foreigners currently hold 66 percent of the U.S. cash in existence Keith Wagstaff January 8, 2015 https://theweek.com/articles/465762/why-100-bills-have-become-americas-exports If you have ever swiped your credit card through a Square-equipped iPhone, you may have walked away convinced that cash's days are numbered. The reality, however, is that there is 42 percent more cash in circulation today than five years ago, according to a new report by the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. A big reason for the spike in green is that people overseas can't get enough U.S. cash, a phenomenon largely attributed to the never-ending euro crisis, says the report