Yen intervention signals a shift in the dollar’s reserve dominance

Barry Eichengreen argues that the joint yen intervention by the US Treasury and Japan’s Finance Ministry sends a message beyond market noise: the dollar’s status as a reserve currency is weakening, and the modest ¥14 trillion effort will be short-lived unless it is backed by stronger fundamentals, such as faster BoJ rate hikes. The use of euros to fund part of the operation and Washington’s cautious approach via facilities like FIMA suggest the US wants currency stability without triggering heavy dollar sales, implying central banks may diversify reserves more in the future.