Nov 14 (Reuters) – Michael Barr, the Federal Reserve’s prime regulatory official, mentioned Monday the U.S. central financial institution is anticipating any stresses to the monetary system amid a weakening economic system, and signaled that stiffer oversight of cryptocurrency is within the offing.
The Fed “will likely be heightening its deal with liquidity, credit score, and interest-rate dangers as supervised establishments handle the altering monetary circumstances,” Barr mentioned in written testimony ready for supply Tuesday to the Senate Banking committee, noting that the U.S. financial outlook has weakened “amid tighter monetary circumstances and elevated uncertainty.”
“A weaker economic system may put stress on households and companies and, thus, on the banking system as a complete,” he mentioned, noting that inflation is much too excessive, and geopolitical occasions like Russia’s warfare in Ukraine pose draw back dangers to the U.S. and international economies.
Barr’s feedback come because the Fed tightens financial coverage extra aggressively than it has in 40 years because it battles too-high inflation by attempting to gradual the economic system and take the warmth out of labor markets.
Final week Fed policymakers unanimously determined to boost their benchmark charge by 75 foundation factors to a variety of three.75%-4%.
Barr used his speech to put out a set of priorities for regulation that features financial institution capital necessities, financial institution mergers, and cryptocurrencies.
“We don’t wish to stifle innovation, however when regulation is lax or behind the curve, it might probably facilitate threat taking and a race to the underside that places customers, companies, and the economic system at risk and discredits new services and products with customers and buyers,” Barr mentioned.
Current occasions in crypto markets, he added, “whereas largely occurring outdoors the banking sector, have highlighted the dangers to buyers and customers related to new and novel asset courses and actions when not accompanied by robust guardrails.”
Crypto trade FTX collapsed final week, sending shock waves by the trade and prompting requires stiffer regulatory oversight.
Reporting Ann Saphir and Lindsay Dunsmuir; Enhancing by Leslie Adler and Cynthia Osterman
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