The US National Research Council has recently recognized holograms as having a crucial function in the fight against counterfeit banknotes. Today around the world, holograms are used by more than 90 issuing authorities on about 250 banknote denominations. 

A two year study entitled, A Path to the Next Generation of U.S. Banknotes: Keeping them Real, found that due to extensive accessibility of digital imaging and printing technologies there has been a great increase in counterfeiting. Because of this, the United States may have to make major changes in the design of its currency, as well as the production of its currency.

The aforementioned report "identifies 21^st century materials and technologies to deter 21^st century counterfeiting banknotes." Furthermore the report, embraced by the International Hologram Manufacturers Association (IHMA), suggests that currency attributes should somehow be mixed in a manner that provides defense against counterfeiters and should contain "the addition of high technology optical devices that produce dramatic visual effect, such as diffractive optical variable devices."

The report further includes the discovery and analysis of new features of Federal Reserve Notes that could provide countermeasures to such threats, and an overview of a requirements-driven development procedure that could be modified to develop an advanced-generation currency.

The IHMA is made up of more than 70 of the world's leading hologram companies that work closely together to uphold the highest professional, security and quality standards in support of their customers.