Imagine how crazy that would have sounded not even that many years hence. In the near future, central banks and hedge funds will me reliant on a social media app where people share pictures of food and cats. Nobody would have believed it.
Hey, it's a bit dickish to point out, I know, but this
is the second time. 'hence' looks forward in time. Replace with 'ago'.
It does sound a bit crazy, yet it feeds into the (conspiracy) theory that big finance knows or perhaps now thinks it knows exactly how to keep the masses entertained and docile - with catpics and 'foody-ism'.