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by wins32767 1204 days ago
> specifically for US dollars they're both liabilities of the Federal Reserve.

I don't think that's right. There are banks outside the US that hold US dollars that the Federal Reserve has no jurisdiction over. They create more currency through fractional reserve lending for their local currency as well as any dollar denominated loans they make. I don't see how those are liabilities of the Federal Reserve, but maybe I'm missing something?

1 comments

Dollars are bank notes “promises to repay”. It used to be many different bank issues notes payable in gold, now it’s one bank - the Fed, and it’s no longer gold.

It doesnt matter if the US dollars is held outside the US. The dollar represents a promise by the fed to pay, and thus is a liability to the fed.

Of course the fed has the power to create and destroy dollars.

> Of course the fed has the power to create and destroy dollars.

So to banks outside the US. That's how fractional reserve banking works. If I go to the UK and deposit $1m USD, and they loan out $900k of that to you, that UK based bank has created $900k.