According to The Kobeissi Letter, a recent National Association of Home Builders analysis reveals that 94 million American households cannot afford a $400,000 home, while the median price of a new house is approximately $460,000. With 70% of US households unable to purchase median-priced homes, traditional real estate investment is becoming less accessible for average buyers (source: The Kobeissi Letter on Twitter, May 18, 2025). This severe affordability gap is driving increased interest in alternative investment assets, including cryptocurrencies, as traders and investors seek inflation hedges and store-of-value options. Crypto market participants should closely monitor housing market stress, as rising demand for digital assets could fuel further market volatility and new capital inflows.

According to Crypto Rover (@rovercrc), the US unemployment rate has risen to 4.1%, higher than the expected 4.0%. This unexpected increase could be bullish for Bitcoin, as investors might turn to cryptocurrencies as an alternative investment during times of economic uncertainty.

According to Eric Balchunas, BlackRock has added $IBIT to one of their smaller model portfolios, marking the first time they have included it in any of their models. This move is seen as a cautious step into the cryptocurrency market with a small allocation in the alternative investment bucket, indicating potential interest and confidence in the asset's future performance.