The US dollar gained versus most of the major currencies during 2008 as the greenback joined the ranks of the world's safe-haven assets...

Source: Bloomberg
...but the Japanese yen proved to be the biggest beneficiary of risk aversion over the past year, leaving the currency as the strongest in 2008. On the flip side, a rapid turn in interest rate expectations for the Bank of England and signs of a deep recession in the UK have lead the British pound to take the biggest hit against both the US dollar and Japanese yen.

Source: Bloomberg