Small and midsize banks flooded the Federal Home Loan Bank System with demands for liquidity to avert potential bank runs and stave off taking unrealized losses on investment portfolios just as the Federal Reserve opened a liquidity facility for just that reason.

The White House and regulators have sought to ease fears about the banking system, but business depositors as well as regional bank investors remain jittery. Speculation has accelerated about potential buyers of the failed Silicon Valley and Signature banks, the health of certain other regionals and how deposit costs will change.

The Bank Term Funding Program, rolled out by the central bank on Sunday night, offers par value for underwater securities that banks pledge to obtain short-term loans. Industry insiders expressed optimism on Monday that it will buy time for institutions that have been hit by rising interest rates.

One day after Provident Financial Services agreed to buy Lakeland Bancorp, the latter bank reached a redlining settlement with the Department of Justice. Now there are calls for regulators who are reviewing the deal to require the same of more banks.

The Federal Reserve's top regulator will examine what steps the central bank took to mitigate risks at the bank before its failure last week.

When Circle USDC broke its peg to the dollar days after SVB's crisis, it revealed new uncertainties for cryptocurrency that's designed to resist volatility.