You've probably heard the rumors for years. Harriet Tubman is supposed to be on the $20 bill. The $10 and $5 are getting "thematic" makeovers. But if you look in your wallet right now, it’s still the same green paper—well, linen and cotton blend—that it was back in 2010. Honestly, the U.S. Treasury moves at a speed that makes a glacier look like a Ferrari.
The new US dollar design isn't just about who gets their face on the money. It's a massive, multi-decade logistical nightmare involving the Secret Service, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP), and a bunch of high-tech security researchers at the Advanced Counterfeit Deterrence (ACD) Steering Committee.
Money isn't just trade. It's trust.
The Real Reason for the New US Dollar Design
Most people think the Treasury changes the bills because they want a fresh look. Not really. Janet Yellen and the folks at the BEP don’t care much about aesthetics compared to security. The primary driver for any new US dollar design is staying ahead of the "Supernote" makers and digital counterfeiters.
The U.S. government actually has a strict schedule, though they miss the deadlines constantly. According to the current timeline provided by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, the $10 bill is actually first in line. You’ll likely see it around 2026. Then comes the $50 in 2028. The $20 isn't expected until somewhere between 2030 and 2035.
It feels like forever. It kind of is.
Why does it take a decade to print a piece of paper? Because of the tech. We aren't just talking about fancy ink. The next generation of currency is expected to include 3D security ribbons that are woven into the paper, not just printed on it. They use micro-optics—millions of tiny lenses—to make images move when you tilt the bill.
What’s Actually Changing on the $20, $10, and $5?
The $20 bill is the one everyone talks about. The plan to put Harriet Tubman on the front and move Andrew Jackson to the back has been a political football for three administrations now. It started under Obama, stalled under Trump, and was revived under Biden.
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But the $10 is the real pioneer here. It’s the "test pilot" for the new security features.
The $10 Bill (Expected 2026)
Alexander Hamilton is staying. Sorry, Broadway fans, he’s not going anywhere. However, the back of the bill is set to honor the women’s suffrage movement. You’ll likely see depictions of Lucretia Mott, Sojourner Truth, Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Alice Paul.
The $5 Bill (Expected 2032-2035)
Lincoln stays on the front. The back will be updated to reflect historic events at the Lincoln Memorial. Think Marian Anderson’s 1939 concert and Martin Luther King Jr.’s "I Have a Dream" speech.
The $100 Bill
Don't hold your breath. The $100 was last updated in 2013 with that massive blue 3D ribbon. It’s currently the most sophisticated bill we have, and since it’s the most counterfeited note outside the U.S., the Treasury is terrified of changing it too often and causing global panic.
Tactile Features: Money You Can Feel
One of the biggest shifts in the new US dollar design is accessibility. For over a century, the U.S. has been one of the few countries with banknotes that are all the same size and texture. If you’re blind or have low vision, you basically have to trust that the guy at the bodega gave you the right change.
That’s finally ending.
The new designs will incorporate "tactile features." This isn't Braille, exactly, but raised bumps or distinct textures that allow someone to identify the denomination by touch. The U.S. missed a court-ordered deadline on this years ago, and they are finally being forced to catch up.
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It's about time.
The Counterfeiting Arms Race
Let's get into the weeds of the security tech. Counterfeiting has gone high-tech. Gone are the days of some guy in a basement with a lithograph. Now, it's about high-resolution digital scanning and chemical "washing" of lower-denomination bills.
The new US dollar design uses something called "color-shifting ink." If you look at a current $100, the copper bell in the inkwell turns green. The new bills will likely use "SPARK" technology. It’s an optical feature that uses magnetic flakes in the ink to create a rolling bar of light that’s almost impossible to replicate with a standard printer.
Then there’s the paper. U.S. currency isn't wood pulp. It’s 75% cotton and 25% linen. The new bills might feel slightly "plastic-y" to some, but the U.S. has resisted moving to full polymer (like Canada or the UK) because the cotton-linen blend is part of our national "brand."
Plus, the machines that print our money are massive, expensive, and specifically designed for fabric-based paper. Switching to plastic would cost billions in equipment upgrades.
Why Does It Take So Long?
You might be wondering why we can’t just click "print" on a new design.
First, there’s the ACD. That’s the Advanced Counterfeit Deterrence committee. They are a shadowy group of experts from the Treasury, the Secret Service, and the Fed. They spend years—literally years—testing a single security thread to see if a teenager with a MacBook can faking it.
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Second, there’s the "public education" phase. When the new US dollar design drops, the government has to teach 330 million Americans (and billions of people worldwide) how to recognize it. If people don't recognize the money, they won't use it. If they won't use it, the economy stalls.
Misconceptions About the New Bills
I've seen a lot of weird theories online. No, the new bills do not have tracking chips in them. They aren't "programmable" currency. That’s a confusion between physical cash and CBDCs (Central Bank Digital Currencies). Physical cash remains anonymous.
Another one: People think the old bills will become worthless.
Wrong.
The U.S. government has a policy that all U.S. currency remains legal tender for all debts, public and private, regardless of when it was printed. You could walk into a store with a $20 bill from 1920 and, legally, it’s still worth twenty bucks. Though you should probably sell it to a collector instead.
What You Should Do Now
While we wait for the BEP to finish their homework, there are a few things you can actually do to prepare for the transition.
Learn the current security features. Most people can't name three security features on a current $20. Look for the watermark, the security thread (which glows green under UV light), and the color-shifting ink on the "20" in the bottom right corner. If you know the old ones, you’ll spot the new ones faster.
Check your old bills.
As the new US dollar design rolls out over the next decade, older "small head" bills will become increasingly rare. If you find a crisp one, keep it. They aren't making more of them.
Prepare for the ATM shift.
Banks will have to recalibrate every single ATM in the country to recognize the new tactile features and security ribbons. Expect some "Out of Service" signs when the $10 launches in 2026.
Watch the $10 first. Keep your eyes on the news in late 2025. That’s when the Treasury will likely do the "big reveal" of the new $10. It’ll be the first major change to our paper money in over a decade, and it will set the tone for the $20 and $50.
The transition is going to be slow, slightly confusing, and probably a little controversial. But that’s the price of having the world’s reserve currency. We don't change fast, but when we do, it's built to last.