logo
episode-header-image
Jan 2025
33m 52s

The Hidden History of Eurodollars, Part ...

bloomberg
About this episode

At more than $10 trillion outstanding, the eurodollar market is one of the biggest forms of shadow banking activity out there. It's also one of the most interesting markets in existence, allowing non-US banks to hold and lend offshore dollars that effectively sit outside of the Federal Reserve's control. But where did eurodollars actually come from? Why did the US allow these "shadow dollars" to exist at all? And what do eurodollars mean for the greenback's role in the global financial system? In this special three-part series, we look back at the hidden history of the eurodollar market. The story is told by Columbia Law School Professor Lev Menand and Federal Reserve Bank of New York Policy Advisor Josh Younger. We start in the aftermath of World War II, when Europe is in the midst of an expensive reconstruction and the world is in the early throes of the Cold War. It's here that the eurodollar is born.

Read more:
Russia Sanctions Arm Trump for Talks With Putin
Scholz Steps Up Criticism of Trump’s Expansionist Rhetoric

Only Bloomberg.com subscribers can get the Odd Lots newsletter in their inbox — now delivered every weekday — plus unlimited access to the site and app. Subscribe at bloomberg.com/subscriptions/oddlots

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Up next
Yesterday
Why Austan Goolsbee Is Still Concerned About Inflation
Chicago Fed President Austan Goolsbee is still more concerned about the inflation side of the Fed's mandate than he is about the employment side. This is noteworthy because in general markets are expecting rate cuts to come soon, and also Chairman Jerome Powell, speaking in Jacks ... Show More
34m 35s
Aug 22
Lots More on What Just Happened With the Fed at Jackson Hole
We're still at the Kansas City Federal Reserve Bank's annual economic symposium in Jackson Hole, where we just heard Fed Chair Jerome Powell's big speech. The speech -- which opened the door to a September rate cut -- proved to be a dovish surprise to the market and stocks are no ... Show More
18m 1s
Aug 21
Kansas City's Fed President on What Everyone Will Be Talking About at Jackson Hole
It's Jackson Hole time again, when the most prominent minds in monetary policy meet in an idyllic Wyoming setting for the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City's annual symposium on monetary policy. For markets, the main event tends to be the speech from the Fed Chairman. But beyon ... Show More
50m 22s
Recommended Episodes
Jul 4
Hidden empire: How America wields economic power
This week, Mark Leonard is joined by Henry Farrell, ECFR council member and professor at John Hopkins University, to discuss Henry’s new book “Underground Economy”, co-authored by Abraham Newman. In their take, globalisation has brought interdependence—which is being weaponised a ... Show More
34m 26s
Oct 2023
Crypto goes to court
Hey smarties! We recorded today’s episode before historic news broke that the House of representatives voted to oust Kevin McCarthy as speaker. We’re monitoring the story as it develops and as the House figures out what comes next. IIt’s Day 1 of Sam Bankman-Fried’s trial. Last y ... Show More
33m 23s
Apr 2025
Here's Why America's Debt is a Trade War Victim
US Treasury bonds have long served as a refuge for investors during times of panic. But as President Donald Trump unleashes an assault on global trade, their status as the world’s safe haven is increasingly coming into question. Yields, especially on longer-term debt, have surged ... Show More
9m 4s
Aug 2024
What Just Happened on Wall Street?
Every major U.S. stock market plunged on Monday, wiping out billions of dollars in value.Jeanna Smialek, who covers the U.S. economy for The Times, discusses what was behind the dizzying sell-off — and what it can tell us about whether America is headed for a recession.Guest: Jea ... Show More
23m 32s
Jul 2023
Late Cycle Bond Trades | Mark Cabana on Mild Recession Case and Treasury Market Supply
Mark Cabana, head of US Rates Strategy at BofA Global Research, joins Forward Guidance to share insights on today’s very strange bond market. Cabana, a former officer at the Markets Group at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, explains his bullish case for the 10-year U.S. Trea ... Show More
56m 14s
May 2020
Dollar Dilemmas & Central Banks Gone Wild: The Best Of The Breakdown April/May 2020
Highlights from some of the most interesting conversations on The Breakdown from the last two months.  4/1 - Peter Zeihan on why the world we’ve known for 30 years is changing forever 4/6 - Emerson Spartz on a moment of punctuated equilibrium  4/17 - Jared Dillian on the politica ... Show More
32m 24s
Jun 26
Why markets are unfazed by the Middle East conflict
Nato members decided on increased defence spending, the Federal Reserve is planning on cutting capital requirements for America’s biggest banks, and accounting firms are ready to open up to public markets. Plus, why US stocks are unfazed by the Israel-Iran conflict. Mentioned in ... Show More
9m 55s
May 2023
American Bank Carnage part 2
The American banking system is experiencing a slow grinding crisis. We explore, why this is happening, why now and why the Fed adopted a completely different attitude to the 2023 banking crisis than the 2008 crisis and what this all means for the economy and the way we distribute ... Show More
31m 17s
Jul 10
Revealing the Secret Architects of Capitalism, with Chris Hughes
After the 2008 financial crisis, and especially after the COVID pandemic of 2020, an increasing number of Americans are questioning the wisdom of unregulated markets and envisioning a more active role for the state. Scholars have coined a panoply of neologisms to capture this vie ... Show More
49m 27s