US consumer confidence has fallen sharply, with the latest University of Michigan survey showing consumer sentiment falling from 57.0 to 50.8, near a three-year low, and inflation expectations surging to 6.7% in the coming year. At the same time, investors have dumped US government bonds and the dollar, sending gold prices to a record high of $3,240/oz. Cryptocurrency markets performed well, with bitcoin up 4% and stabilizing at $82,000, and mainstream tokens SOL and AVAX up 6% each. Some analysts believe that market volatility stems from exits by highly leveraged market participants, rather than fundamental changes.