A CryptoSlate analysis highlights that borrowing costs, missed interest income，and futures fees can erode Bitcoin returns even when its price remains stable. This issue is compounded by high inflation, which keeps interest rates elevated, increasing the expense of financing Bitcoin purchases. The September US inflation report showed consumer prices up 3.7% year-over-year, underscoring concerns about the dollar's purchasing power. The analysis notes that leveraged positions require significant Bitcoin price gains just to cover interest payments, and futures contracts can obscure these embedded financing costs. Bitcoin's scarcity argument does not automatically imply its price will rise with CPI.