Multiple business surveys paint a consistent picture right now—companies are facing real pressure on their operating costs. And they're not absorbing those hits quietly. The strategy is pretty straightforward: firms are actively working to protect their profit margins by passing these costs down to consumers through higher prices.

This dynamic matters more than you might think. When businesses get squeezed on one side, they push back on the other. It's a classic cycle that tends to echo through asset markets, including crypto. As inflation expectations shift and companies adjust their pricing power, it affects everything from consumer spending patterns to broader economic sentiment.