We are always told that the gold standard is crazy and caused the Great Depression and could never be reinstituted, or that letting people and banks choose the currency themselves is a recipe for economic disaster. That might come as a surprise to Ecuadorians and residents of dozens of other countries from Canada to Zimbabwe.
In 2000, Ecuadors currency was on its last rocks, and the government just gave up. It opted to endorse the US dollar and made it legal tender. Since then, Ecuador has done well for itself; it certainly has not done bad. The South American nation has proven a great market for the dollar coins that are less popular in the US. Ecuador produces its own coins that are the same sizes as US coins, which are also accepted. And they are not the only country to have done this. Panama does also, as do East Timor, El Salvador, some Caribbean and Pacific islands, and of course, Zimbabwe. Additional countries do the same with the Euro, the Australian dollar, and other currencies.
