The blue dollar (Argentina's informal exchange rate) closed on Saturday, August 22, 2026, at ARS 1,530 for buying and ARS 1,550 for selling, unchanged from Friday, according to exchange houses in Buenos Aires. In Córdoba, the parallel currency remained at ARS 1,566, also stable.
Meanwhile, the official dollar at Banco Nación stayed at ARS 1,470 for buying and ARS 1,520 for selling throughout Saturday, as reported by TyC Sports. On Friday, the Nación had closed with a slight 0.33% increase, moving from ARS 1,515 to ARS 1,520 for selling.
Friday, August 21: Mixed Movements
On Friday, the market showed mixed variations. According to El Litoral, the MEP dollar (a financial dollar obtained through stock market operations) rose 0.33% to close at ARS 1,531.87 for buying and ARS 1,532.33 for selling. The blue dollar remained at ARS 1,530/1,550 in Buenos Aires, while in Córdoba it traded at ARS 1,534/1,566.
Among banks, Banco Provincia stayed at ARS 1,465/1,515, Banco Bica at ARS 1,466/1,525, and ICBC at ARS 1,465/1,520.
Financial Dollars and the Gap
The Contado con Liquidación (CCL) dollar (used to transfer funds abroad) closed Friday at ARS 1,588.30 for buying and ARS 1,589.70 for selling, according to Clarín. The MEP dollar (also known as the stock market dollar) was at ARS 1,531.70/1,545.30 (La Voz reported MEP at ARS 1,545.30 in Córdoba).
The gap between the official and blue dollar is approximately 4%, as the official rate is ARS 1,520 and the blue is ARS 1,550.
What is the Blue Dollar?
The blue dollar is the informal version of the US currency in Argentina, bought and sold in unauthorized exchange houses ('cuevas') without central bank control. Its rate is usually higher than the official one and acts as a barometer of economic expectations. The term 'blue' comes from English, where it also means 'dark' or 'illegal' in slang.
Economic Context
On Friday, the country risk fell 4.9% to 506 basis points, breaking a streak of 13 consecutive increases. The Central Bank's reserves reached USD 50,655 million, the highest level in 7 years. The BCRA bought USD 23 million on Friday.
The credit card dollar (used for foreign purchases) remains at ARS 1,969.50, while the crypto dollar hovers around ARS 1,585.
Sources: El Litoral | La Voz | Clarín | TyC Sports