What is the dollar symbol in the stock market?

Okay, so, that dollar sign ($) you see all over stock tickers? Yeah, it usually means US dollars. Which, let's be honest, is a bit of a pain, right? Especially if you're, like me, trying to keep an eye on companies listed in, say, Tokyo or London. It's like, hello, world, other currencies exist! Don't get me wrong, the US dollar is important and all, but it sometimes feels… a tad US-centric, doesn't it?

It can be super confusing. I remember this one time, I was comparing a Canadian mining stock with a similar one in the US. Both had similar share prices, and I almost thought they were comparable. But then I smacked myself in the forehead – duh, one's in Canadian dollars, the other US! What a difference that makes! Talk about a potential investment blunder. It's frustrating – shouldn't it be super clear which currency we're talking about? Why make it so darn difficult to compare apples to apples? I mean, ideally, each listing should just tell you, upfront, which currency it's using. Wouldn't that make life so much easier?