More than one year ago, in late February 2021, LikeFolio published a chart showing that the American public was starting to take notice of ‘the Fed’.

At the time, public awareness of the U.S. central bank had already heightened been heightened by the 2020 QE program, with Mentions of the Federal Reserve — made by retail investors and average consumers —trending towards a new all-time high level.

Since then, Fed Mention volume has experienced parabolic growth to the upside, trending +200% YoY on a 90-day moving average.

Several factors have contributed to the recent surge in public awareness, including but not limited to:

• Rampant inflation impacting consumer goods, commodities, and real estate
• Uncertainty concerning interest rate hikes and resulting market volatility
• An insider trading scandal
• Uncertainty surrounding Jerome Powell’s reinstatement as Fed Chair

Americans have taken notice of their central bank, but not for the best reasons, which is why this trend has correlated well with market volatility in recent months.Last year, we noted rising Federal Reserve awareness as an investment driver for alternative assets like cryptocurrencies and precious metals.

Although their individual markets have suffered from ubiquitous volatility in the past year, we still regard alternative currencies/assets as essential long-term portfolio positions, especially when considering the rising tide of central bank concern on main street.