The New Zealand dollar rose to a fresh three-month high after minutes to last month's European Central Bank policy review signalled an earlier end to its stimulus program, weighing on the greenback.
The kiwi rose to US72.48c as at 8am from US71.88c on Thursday.
The trade-weighted index advanced to 75.17 from 74.78 on Thursday, rising to its highest level since mid-October.
The euro climbed 0.8 per cent to US$1.2035 after minutes to the December ECB meeting showed European policymakers were considering how the region's "continued robust and increasingly self-sustaining economic expansion" could change its guidance for quantitative easing to continue until at least September.
The change in tone from Europe's central bank follows a reduction in bond-buying from the Bank of Japan in what's becoming a broader shift away from the extraordinary stimulus injected into the global economy over the past decade.
"A more hawkish tone to the ECB minutes gave the euro a boost as markets digest what 'gradual shift' might mean. At face value, it implies the ECB is inching towards the exit door," ANZ Bank New Zealand chief economist Sharon Zollner said.
"The NZD/USD is on a tear. The break of key topside levels opens up the potential for further moves higher."
The kiwi was little changed at 60.21 euro cents from 60.14 euro cents on Thursday, and ANZ's Zollner said the prospect of tighter monetary policy in Europe earlier than expected should cap the cross, which has support at 58.80 euro cents and faces resistance at 60.80 cents.
New Zealand's currency was also boosted by higher commodity prices, with Brent Crude oil rising above US$70 a barrel for the first time since 2014.
Local data on Friday includes November building permits, which isn't typically market-moving.
The kiwi gained to 4.7080 Chinese yuan from 4.6838 yuan on Thursday after the Chinese government quashed speculation it was considering cutting its purchases of US Treasuries.
The report triggered a sell-off in US Treasuries and the greenback.
The kiwi rose to A91.83c from A91.37c on Thursday and gained to 53.54 British pence from 53.22 pence.
It gained to 80.51 yen from 80.29 yen.