What the Next Market Shock Will Expose About Liquidity Risk

Over the decades, financial markets have delivered repeated reminders that liquidity is never guaranteed. It may appear stable on paper, embedded neatly into models and stress tests, but in real-world conditions, liquidity behaves very differently. It is situational, fragile and often disappears precisely when it is needed most. Time and again, analysts and portfolio managers have learned this lesson the hard way. Yet liquidity risk is still too often treated as something secondary to be addressed after credit, market or operational risk. That hierarchy is increasingly outdated. 

Take the recent and stark examples that came in 2023, when several U.S. banks—including Silicon Valley, Signature and First Republic—collapsed in rapid succession. These institutions held substantial volumes of long-term securities that appeared safe under normal conditions. But when depositor confidence evaporated and withdrawals accelerated, those assets could not be liquidated quickly enough to meet obligations. What followed was a liquidity crisis that spiraled into operational failure and contagion across the financial system. 

The lesson was clear: even well-capitalized institutions can fail when liquidity assumptions break down. Despite this, liquidity risk is still frequently modeled as something that will “be there” when things go wrong, rather than as a dynamic constraint that must be managed every day. 

Monitoring warning indicators

To minimize liquidity risk, institutions need to abandon the idea that liquidity is a passive feature of markets. It is better understood as a living organism that requires constant monitoring and regular stress testing. Just as individuals undergo routine health checkups, portfolios require ongoing liquidity assessments, particularly in periods of heightened uncertainty. Today’s macro environment makes this especially urgent. Markets are navigating what many describe as a “perfect storm.” Geopolitical conflicts, shifting alliances, sanctions, tariffs and political instability have introduced persistent friction into global capital flows. At the same time, interest rates remain elevated, which makes capital more expensive and dampens risk appetite. The combination has materially reduced available liquidity across asset classes. 

In this context, central bank policy, particularly decisions by the Federal Reserve, plays an outsized role. While many market participants are waiting for rate cuts to restore easier financial conditions, timing remains uncertain. When rates eventually decline, capital will likely flow more freely and funding will become more accessible. But until then, liquidity must be treated as constrained, not assumed. 

Regulatory pressures further complicate the picture. Banks and funds, especially private funds, are operating under increasingly stringent requirements. The Basel standards and similar frameworks have raised capital and liquidity thresholds, limiting risk-taking and making it harder to allocate capital to less liquid or higher-risk segments, including private markets. These regulations may strengthen systemic stability, but they may also reduce flexibility during periods of stress. 

Portfolio construction is evolving

Against this backdrop, portfolio managers must look inward as well as outward. While macro conditions may be uncontrollable, internal portfolio construction is not. Reducing liquidity risk increasingly depends on how portfolios are structured, diversified and managed in real time. The good news here is that there is a growing availability of technological tools designed to improve liquidity management. Digital infrastructure is reshaping how assets are accessed, traded and monitored, offering ways to mitigate liquidity constraints. 

A notable example is the rise of tokenization. An increasing share of assets, particularly real-world assets (RWAs), is being represented digitally. In the U.S. alone, the RWA tokenization market surpassed $24 billion by mid-2025. Tokenization allows assets that were historically illiquid to be broken into smaller, tradable units. Instead of purchasing an entire physical asset, such as a commercial property or apartment, investors can acquire tokenized fractions. This structure can significantly enhance liquidity by lowering barriers to entry and enabling partial exits. While access to such products remains largely limited to professional and institutional investors, the model demonstrates how technology can transform liquidity characteristics without altering the underlying asset. 

At the same time, market infrastructure itself is changing. U.S. markets are gradually moving toward extended or even 24/7 trading models. Greater trading availability can support liquidity by allowing transactions outside traditional market hours. However, this evolution introduces new complexities. Volatility may spike unexpectedly, and liquidity itself can fluctuate sharply over very short periods. Without proper risk controls, extended trading can amplify rather than reduce exposure. 

The role of algorithms and A.I.

Another major shift is the growing adoption of algorithmic trading and A.I. These tools allow portfolio managers to move beyond single-position strategies and toward dynamic, data-driven allocation models. 

Algorithmic strategies can respond to market conditions faster than human decision-making alone, adjusting exposures and reallocating capital as liquidity conditions change. Rather than holding positions passively, portfolios can be optimized continuously based on predefined statistical parameters. 

Many U.S. advisors report that such tools have improved their ability to access liquidity when it matters most. While these technologies are still maturing—and require careful governance to avoid unintended risks—they already demonstrate meaningful advantages in volatile or fragmented markets. Importantly, technology does not eliminate liquidity risk. But it does provide greater visibility, faster reaction times and more granular control. When used responsibly, these tools help ensure that liquidity planning is proactive rather than reactive. 

The core lesson

Ultimately, the most important takeaway is simple but often overlooked: asset managers should never treat liquidity risk as a backup plan. It must be an active, central component of portfolio strategy. History shows what happens when this principle is ignored. In moments of market stress, when many participants need cash simultaneously, liquid assets disappear quickly. What once seemed easy to sell becomes impossible to exit without significant losses. When liquidity evaporates, even fundamentally sound portfolios can fail. 

Asset managers who rely on the outdated assumption that liquidity will always be available when needed risk repeating the same mistakes. By contrast, those who continuously assess liquidity, embrace evolving technologies and adapt portfolio construction to current conditions are far better positioned to withstand shocks. 

As I always say, liquidity, like trust, takes years to build and seconds to lose. The challenge for today’s portfolio managers is to ensure returns remain accessible when markets are under pressure. In a period of uncertainty, liquidity is the foundation of resilience.

Eugenia Mykuliak, Founder & Executive Director of B2PRIME Group, a global financial services provider for institutional and professional clients