The state of the current 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 three-way resonance system where the success of one leads to the success of all, and the failure of one leads to the failure of all.
Can we listen to songs now? From "Learn to Meow" to "Great Ambition", it seems I have fallen into an aesthetic trap; I have already listened to the ones I like in this lifetime.
It's not that there are no talented individuals, but rather that excellent creators are dancing with shackles on. Before writing, they first eliminate sensitive topics, then avoid political taboos, and finally, they must be actively compliant and have the right attitude. In such a timid and cautious creative atmosphere, how can one possibly give birth to extraordinary 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 restrictions, where the economy and culture flourished together, it was a time of 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 rather exploring individuality, reality, confusion, and love.
The intertwining of ideals, chaos, wild power, and opportunities of the times has created one of the most free, profound, and vibrant periods in contemporary Chinese literature and art.
This period gave rise to "In the Heat of the Sun," "To Live," and "Farewell My Concubine," with directors such as Jiang Wen, Lou Ye, and Jia Zhangke boldly experimenting with realistic themes, and these works continue to dominate Douban TOP.
The works of musicians like Cui Jian, Dou Wei, Li Zongsheng, Luo Dayou, and Beyond swept the market and created a resonance of the era; many of these works would not pass the review today.
With China's GDP growing from 14.5 trillion RMB to approximately 97 trillion RMB, the per capita GDP has doubled, leading people to exclaim that the works from that time have a kind of "beauty of economic upturn."

Nowadays, it seems like everything is flourishing with rising movie box office and explosive music data, but it is actually hard to conceal the decline, forming a posture like a moonwalk: it looks like moving forward, but in reality, it is a regression.

The real watershed year is 2017.
That year, monetary policy was loose, banks did not check account flows, capital movement was free, private investment enthusiasm was high, and various types of funding schemes emerged one after another.
Housing prices have reached historic highs, the illusion of wealth has peaked, the crypto world has also ushered in an epic bull market, and the myth of becoming rich through blockchain has become the headline of Tencent News.
As Bilibili rises, the common people become affluent and patriotic, leading to the miracle of "Wolf Warrior 2."
"Talk Show Competition" and "China Has Hip Hop" have emerged one after another, opening up two new markets and creating wealth for a batch of practitioners.
At that time in China, culture and capital joined forces, creativity and platforms converged, free speech, the catalysis of money, and the market's desire miraculously aligned in that moment.
However, the highlights are all fleeting.

Everything started to change after 2018.
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 again.
The variety show rhetoric is gradually converging, expressions are starting to self-castrate, the crypto world has entered its harshest winter, and 70% of practitioners' crypto dreams died in December.

By today, after 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 being 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, and avant-garde art no longer exists. Anything more "avant-garde" than society and policy is bound to face suppression and censorship.

The policies are tight, and the economic difficulties are apparent. As practitioners in the crypto world, we are somewhat fortunate.
Housing prices are falling, employment is difficult, and competition is severe, leaving everyone feeling insecure.

But fortunately, we still have Bitcoin.