The idea of launching a parallel currency alongside the euro to solve Greece's problems is bound to fail. A transitory regime, a smoke-and-mirrors version where nobody knows precisely whether Greece is in or out, would be a better option. A parallel currency that acts as a medium of exchange but not necessarily as a store of value or unit of account, with its denomination being the euro, would be the preferred choice. However, launching a fully independent currency may send a strong signal to financial markets that the government in Athens was preparing the way for Greece to slide out of the euro, causing financial markets to start pulling out as many euros as they could and external creditors to likely refuse to roll over their loans on fear that they would not be able to be paid back.