US Fed announces $25B in funding to backstop banks

Hot on the heels of several United States bank collapses, the Federal Reserve has announced $25 billion worth of funding aimed at backstopping banks and other depository firms.

The funds would ensure that "eligible banks" would have enough liquidity to cover the needs of their customers during times of turmoil.

@federalreserve announces Bank Term Funding Program (BTFP) to support American businesses and households, assure banks have ability to meet needs of all their depositors: https://t.co/JIMjkooIDV

In a Mar. 12 statement, the Federal Reserve said it created a $25 billion Bank Term Funding Program (BTFP) offering loans of up to one year to banks.

It said it would be an "additional source of liquidity against high-quality securities, eliminating an institution’s need to quickly sell those securities in times of stress."

It comes as Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) announced on Mar. 8 a significant sale of assets and stocks aimed at raising additional capital which panicked depositors and triggered a run on the bank. 

Related: US Fed announces $25B in funding to backstop banks

The bank run contaminated the crypto space as stablecoin issuer Circle disclosed it had $3.3 billion in SVB, causing further panic and resulting in its stablecoin USD Coin (USDC) losing its U.S. dollar peg.

It also comes on the same day that regulators closed New York-based Signature Bank, citing systemic risk. 

This is a developing story, and further information will be added as it becomes available.

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