December inflation came in hotter than expected. Year-over-year CPI climbed to 0.8%, matching estimates but marking the highest reading since March 2023, up from 0.7% the prior month. This uptick signals persistent inflationary pressure, which typically weighs on risk assets including cryptocurrencies. For traders monitoring macro headwinds, this data point reinforces the importance of tracking central bank policy pivots and their spillover effects on digital asset valuations.