Bitcoin breaks through the $100,000 mark, with major media outlets reporting enthusiastically and applause ringing out in exchanges. But if you look closely at this number, you'll realize it's not as perfect as it seems.

Recently, analysts from a research institution did some calculations and came to a rather sobering conclusion: when accounting for inflation over the past four years, Bitcoin's true peak is actually only $99,848—just $152 short of $100,000. In other words, that beautiful number you see has been quietly eroded by inflation.

What does this tell us? The money in each of our hands is silently losing value every year. The ten thousand dollars you hold this year won't be worth the same in one or two years. This isn't a new phenomenon, but when you apply it to Bitcoin, the "digital gold," the irony becomes even more apparent.

Why is this happening? Looking back over the past few years, the global economy has faced pandemic shocks, and central banks around the world have turned on the money-printing presses, flooding the market with liquidity. Nominally, all kinds of assets are rising, and prices are hitting new highs. But what about purchasing power? It’s quietly declining. It’s like boiling a frog—you're comfortable in the water, unaware of the danger, until suddenly you realize the environment has changed completely.

From an ordinary person's perspective, the money deposited in the bank at the beginning of the year can buy fewer goods by year's end. Salaries have increased slightly, but a trip to the supermarket reveals that the rise in wages can't keep up with the increase in prices. This phenomenon isn't limited to Bitcoin investors; it affects everyone.

So the question is: in this era of continuous fiat currency devaluation, what do we really need? Something that can anchor real value and isn't destroyed by excessive issuance. Although Bitcoin is touted as digital gold, it still has to be valued in fiat currency and cannot completely escape inflation's impact. That’s why, besides focusing on Bitcoin itself, more people are beginning to consider stablecoins and even more diversified ways to store value.

In simple terms, what this era needs is a new "measure"—not one used to gauge nominal price fluctuations, but one that truly measures whether your wealth is growing. On platforms like major exchanges, you can see various stablecoins and DeFi products. Their existence essentially responds to this question: how can your assets be preserved, and even outpace depreciation in an inflationary environment?

So next time you see news about an asset hitting a new high, pause and ask yourself: is this a nominal high, or a real increase in purchasing power? Everyone should think carefully about this question.