For example: Why does it matter that a trade happens in USD instead of euro? They all can be made equivalent right?
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Why does it matter to the parties making the trade?
You’re right that currencies can be bought and sold. So if I received euros in a trade I could exchange those for pounds that I can use to pay my british workers.
However there are two problems here.
First, the exchange rate can change. Let’s say we agree a €100,000 euro contract and payment will be due in six months. Well if the pound drops in value in that time I’m going to lose out. So I’m taking a risk. Of course, if the other party is based in the eurozone and we priced in pounds, they’d be the one taking the risk.
Second, there’s always a cost to exchanging money. So it’s beneficial to be paid in the currency you actually want, or to pay in the currency you normally use.
Why does it matter to countries?
The first reason links back to what I just said: if trades are done in their currency, its their companies and citizens who gain these benefits.
The second is that trade using your currency creates demand for that currency. The pros and cons of this are a little complicated, but generally it can help make your currency more stable and it increases your influence around the world. This is one reason the US is able to hold a large foreign debt. Dollars are in great demand for trade, and also countries (and companies) need to hold reserves of dollars to pay for trade if something goes wrong.
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