There's no doubt that the unexpected surge in consumer demand following the pandemic, at a time when supply chains were not functioning at full capacity, probably is the main culprit of the current situation. In the U.S., the Federal Reserve targets an annual inflation rate of 2% over the long term, a figure monetary policy makers believe leads to a healthy economy. The world's most valuable cryptocurrency has skyrocketed 39,000% in value from May 2013 (the earliest data provided by Coin Market Cap) to Jan. 20, trouncing any other financial asset's performance during this period.