In the ruthless world of POE 1 Items, there is no gold. Instead, Wraeclast operates on a far more visceral and ingenious economy where the primary mediums of exchange are the very same **currency** orbs used to alter and craft equipment. This fusion of economy and crafting creates a deeply interconnected, player-driven market where every transaction involves bartering with potential, and understanding the value of a **Chaos Orb** is as crucial as understanding a weapon's damage.

The system's brilliance lies in utility. Each primary **currency** item has a direct, impactful crafting function. An **Alchemy Orb** turns a normal item rare. A **Chaos Orb** randomly rerolls a rare item's modifiers. A **Divine Orb** rerolls the numerical values on those modifiers. A **Vaal Orb** can corrupt an item, potentially elevating it to greatness or destroying it utterly. This means that to trade away a **Chaos Orb** is to trade away a chance to improve your own gear. Value is intrinsically tied to power and scarcity, not an abstract number. The economy self-regulates based on the league's meta, the demand for certain crafting actions, and the drop rates of specific orbs, creating a living market that shifts from league to league.

This shapes the entire **loot** experience. Identifying a rare item isn't just about checking if it's an upgrade. It's an evaluation of its trade potential. A piece of gear with a perfect combination of life, resistances, and a desirable damage stat might be worth dozens of **Chaos Orbs**, funding an entire character's progression. Conversely, most rares are "vendor trash," to be sold to NPCs for shards of basic **currency**. This constant evaluation turns every item drop into a potential economic event, demanding game knowledge to assess worth. The most coveted items are often crafted using a succession of valuable orbs, making them literal embodiments of concentrated wealth and effort.

Trade itself is a deliberate, hands-on process. Without a centralized auction house, players rely on third-party websites to index their shops and must be in-game to conduct trades via a peer-to-peer window. This friction is intentional. It slows down transactions, prevents total market automation, and embeds a human element—haggling, price-fixing, and the thrill of the deal—into the heart of the economy. It fosters communities of dedicated traders and flippers, adding a complex meta-game for those inclined.

Ultimately, the **currency** and crafting system is a cornerstone of PoE's identity. It transforms the **loot** hunt from a simple search for upgrades into a multifaceted economic engagement. The rustle of orbs in one's stash is the sound of potential—the power to trade for a build-enabling unique, to gamble on a high-stakes craft, or to bankroll a new character concept. In Wraeclast, wealth is not just possessed; it is a versatile tool, and every exile is both a warrior and an economist, navigating a market where the coins themselves are fragments of divine, chaotic power.