Here's something to chew on: when a story gets repeated enough times across media and social channels, it stops being scrutinized and starts being treated as gospel truth. The affordability crisis sweeping developed economies is a perfect example.

Yes, costs are up. Yes, people feel the squeeze. But here's the trap—once a narrative gains momentum, the actual data becomes secondary to the collective belief. Markets move on perception as much as fundamentals. If everyone's convinced the economy is broken, that conviction shapes behavior, spending patterns, and asset allocation decisions.

The danger? We stop asking the hard questions. We stop checking the numbers. We accept the story because it feels true and everyone else is telling it.

For those watching macro trends and their impact on crypto markets, this is worth keeping in mind. Macro sentiment can be as powerful as real data—sometimes more so. The trick is learning to distinguish between what's actually happening and what we've agreed to believe is happening.