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Unlimited QE and Why Markets Can't Price In COVID-19

The Market reacts as the Fed announced effectively unlimited injections including a new array of direct asset purchase tools

Breakdown3.23-1

The market reacts as the U.S. Federal Reserve announced effectively unlimited capital injections including a new array of direct asset purchase tools.

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Last October, Ikigai Asset Management’s Travis Kling predicted central banks would have to “juice QE to infinity” in order to save markets from recession. Yesterday on "60 Minutes," Fed President Neel Kashkari said that“there is an infinite amount of cash at the Federal Reserve. We will do whatever we need to do to make sure there is enough cash in the financial system.”

This was followed this morning by an announcement the Fed was giving itself effectively unlimited capacity to intervene in markets. Markets were...still not impressed. In less than two hours, an initial gain had entirely retraced.

On this episode of The Breakdown, @NLW looks at:

  • Specifics details of the Fed Announcement
  • Why FinTwit and Bitcoin Twitter are focusing on inflation
  • Why some think this action amounts to a nationalization of markets
  • How the "money printer go brrr’ meme is taking hold

For more episodes and free early access before our regular 3 p.m. Eastern time releases, subscribe with Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocketcasts, Google Podcasts, Castbox, Stitcher, RadioPublica, IHeartRadio or RSS.

See also: Into the Unknown: No Limit on Fed Money Injections

Note: The views expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of CoinDesk, Inc. or its owners and affiliates.

Nathaniel Whittemore

NLW is an independent strategy and communications consultant for leading crypto companies as well as host of The Breakdown – the fastest-growing podcast in crypto. Whittemore has been a VC with Learn Capital, was on the founding team of Change.org, and founded a program design center at his alma mater Northwestern University that helped inspire the largest donation in the school’s history.

Nathaniel Whittemore