The current state of the economy is not deeply felt by people in the crypto world.

There is no need to discuss universal social security, nor is there a need to look at the data.
The rise and fall can be seen from cultural regression.
Open policies, a healthy economy, and a prosperous cultural industry often form a threefold resonance system where all flourish together and suffer together.
Can the current songs be listened to? From "Learning to Meow Like a Cat" to "A Great Ambition", it seems I've fallen into an aesthetic decline; the songs I like have all been listened to in this life.
It's not that there are no talents; it's that excellent creators are dancing with shackles. They first eliminate sensitive topics before writing, then avoid political taboos, and finally must be actively compliant and have the correct attitude. In such a timid and cautious creative atmosphere, how can one possibly give birth to remarkable works?
Why are David Tao, Jay Chou, Mayday, and JJ Lin still dominating the performance market? Because today's music is all garbage.

Looking back at China in the 1990s: the acceleration of opening up to the outside world, the increase in people's income, and the enhancement of consumption capacity also brought about a demand for cultural consumption and diversified expectations. The common people genuinely felt that each year would be better than the last.
In an era without so many constraints, the economy and the arts flourished side by side, characterized by bold expression and bold innovation.
Artists are no longer telling stories of "heroic sons and daughters, and the spirit of dedication" in the face of a rapidly changing society, but are exploring individuality, reality, confusion, and love.
The intertwining of ideals, chaos, wild power, and opportunities of the times has created the most free, profound, and vibrant period in contemporary Chinese literature and arts.
This gave rise to "In the Heat of the Sun," "To Live," and "Farewell My Concubine." Directors like Jiang Wen, Lou Ye, and Jia Zhangke boldly experimented with realistic themes during this period, and these works still dominate Douban's TOP.
The works of musicians like Cui Jian, Dou Wei, Li Zongsheng, Luo Dayou, and Beyond swept the market, creating a resonance of the era. Many of these works would not pass the review today.
As China's GDP grew from 14.5 trillion yuan to about 97 trillion yuan, the per capita GDP of the common people doubled, and one can't help but sigh that the works from that time have a kind of "beauty of the economic upturn."

Nowadays, it seems like a time of flourishing with rising box office numbers and explosive music data, but it actually cannot hide the decline, creating a stance like a moonwalk: seemingly moving forward, but in reality retreating.

The real watershed moment was 2017.
That year, monetary policy was loose, banks did not check account flows, funds could move freely, private investment enthusiasm was high, and various types of funding schemes emerged one after another.
Housing prices reached historical highs, the illusion of wealth peaked, the crypto world also welcomed an epic bull market, and the myth of getting rich through blockchain became the headline of Tencent News.
With the rise of Bilibili, the common people have become affluent and patriotic, leading to the miracle of "Wolf Warrior 2."
"The Joke Show" and "China Has Hip Hop" have emerged one after another, opening up two new markets and creating wealth for a new batch of practitioners.
At that time in China, culture and capital joined forces, creativity and platforms converged, and the free speech, the catalyst of money, and the market's desire miraculously aligned at that moment.
However, the moments of brilliance are all fleeting.

After 2018, everything started to change.
Film and television censorship has tightened comprehensively, with many themes being restricted; talk shows and rap programs have been ordered to make corrections, and underground culture is retreating once again.
The entertainment industry is gradually becoming more restrained in its rhetoric, expressions are starting to self-censor, and the crypto world has entered its harshest winter, with 70% of practitioners' crypto dreams frozen to death in December.

Today, after several years of recession due to the pandemic, the collapse of culture has accelerated.
The once-popular talk shows and rap variety shows are no longer watched.
The art of offense is no longer allowed to be mocked on a large scale, and Hip-Hop can no longer express itself freely.
Under this censorship system, cultural regression is inevitable, avant-garde art no longer exists, and being more "avant-garde" than society and policy will inevitably face suppression and ban.

The policies are tight, and the economic difficulties are obvious. As practitioners in the crypto world, we are somewhat lucky.
Housing prices are falling, employment is difficult, and the competition is severe; everyone feels anxious.

But fortunately, we still have Bitcoin.