Article:
BREAKING: The Fed just scooped up $BTC 20.47 billion worth of 3-year Treasury bonds during the May 5 auction. Instantly, everyone started asking: “Is this the return of QE? Are they printing money again?
Let me break it down clearly:
No, this isn’t QE. It’s just reinvestment.
Let’s go deeper into what’s really happening here:
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What is SOMA?
SOMA stands for System Open Market Account. It’s the Fed’s portfolio of Treasury and agency securities, managed by the NY Fed. This account is used to implement monetary policy — and it’s important to understand that not every purchase from SOMA means “new money” is being pumped in.
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Why Did SOMA Buy at This Auction?
Simple: Reinvestment.
When bonds in SOMA’s portfolio mature, the Fed doesn’t just let that money sit — it reinvests the cash into new Treasuries to maintain the balance sheet size. This is pre-scheduled, non-competitive, and most importantly, not QE.
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So What Actually Happened?
At the May 5 auction:
$BTC 168.7B in total bids
$BTC 78.5B accepted
Of which $20.47B came from SOMA
The rest? Bought by dealers, funds, and other investors.
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Bottom Line:
This isn’t money printing.
SOMA’s activity is like rolling over a CD when it matures — not adding new funds, just keeping the same amount in play.
So no, QE hasn’t restarted.
But yes, it’s worth watching how reinvestments evolve over time, especially if the Fed pivots on rates or balance sheet policy down the road.
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