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The asset bubble that’s quietly popping

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell and other Fed policymakers meet this week to raise borrowing costs again in a fight against the highest inflation in four decades that they're not close to winning.

The crypto market has melted down. Home prices in major markets are dropping. Investors in stocks and bonds are suffering.

And that could be the best-case scenario for Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell.

After months of steep hikes in interest rates, the Fed is facing a surprising reality: The damage to financial markets and the broader economy has been relatively modest, and inflation is showing signs of easing. Bubbles in both the stock market and home prices are shrinking from their historic surge — but only gradually. Crypto’s implosion has barely caused a ripple. And beyond Wall Street, consumer spending has held up, factory orders are rising, and the job market is consistently beating expectations.