US November retail sales came in stronger than expected. The headline reading hit 0.6%, beating the forecast of 0.5% and up from October's flat 0.0%. Strip out auto purchases and you get 0.5% growth versus 0.4% anticipated—still solid. The control group, which strips out more volatile categories, posted 0.4% as expected after November's outsized 0.8% jump.

Here's what matters: these numbers show consumer spending isn't rolling over just yet. For crypto markets, retail data like this sets the tone for risk appetite. Stronger consumer activity typically lifts sentiment across risk assets, while weakness often triggers flight-to-safety moves that can drag down altcoin performance. The fact that ex-auto sales beat suggests underlying demand is real, not just driven by auto sector noise.

Keep an eye on whether this momentum holds into Q4 earnings season—that's when we'll see if consumers actually follow through with holiday spending.