Brief illustration of a fixed-for-fixed currency swap (e.g., dollars for euros). Please note: in a plain vanilla interest rate swap, we referred to the NOTIONAL because it is not exchanged (in that case, the notional is required only to compute the interest). However, in a currency swap the PRINCIPAL is exchanged.

At inception, the value of the swap is zero or nearly zero. Subsequently, the value of the swap will differ from zero. Under this approach, we simply treat the swap as two bonds: a fixed-coupon bond and a floating-coupon bond. The value of the swap is difference between the two.

This illustrates how an interest rate swap can transform a floating-rate obligation into a fixed-rate obligation and vice-versa