Unwinding the Yen Carry Trade: The $20 Trillion Question and the Coming Dollar Shockwave

The yen carry trade is the hidden leverage machine behind decades of global liquidity. Now, as Japan exits negative rates, up to $20 trillion in leveraged positions risk unwinding — triggering forced liquidations, global volatility, and a potential dollar spike driven by repatriation flows. This article explores how the unwind works, why it matters, and how dedollarization narratives collide with the coming dollar squeeze.