With zero inflation targets, persistently low interest rates, and continuous monetary expansion in play, the market setup looks decidedly bearish for crypto right now. Most retail investors have already rotated into defensive positions—cash, precious metals, that kind of thing. When the broader economy tightens while money printing continues, you're looking at a liquidity squeeze that historically favors risk-off sentiment. The upside catalysts just aren't lining up. A prolonged bear market is pretty much baked into this macro picture at this point.