Brian Armstrong, the CEO of Coinbase, issued a stark warning this week: if U.S. lawmakers don’t get the nationwide debt below management, Bitcoin may supplant the greenback because the world’s reserve foreign money.
“If the citizens doesn’t maintain Congress accountable to lowering the deficit, and begin paying down the debt, Bitcoin goes to take over as reserve foreign money,” Armstrong posted on X. “I like Bitcoin, however a robust America can be tremendous vital for the world. We have to get our funds below management.”
His remark was a direct response to a put up from World of Statistics displaying U.S. nationwide debt figures over time. The numbers paint a dramatic image: debt has soared from $5.7 trillion in 2000 to $36.9 trillion in 2025, a greater than sixfold enhance in simply 25 years.
The tweet sparked widespread debate, drawing reactions from distinguished figures throughout crypto and mainstream tradition. YouTube creator MrBeast requested bluntly, “We’re simply going to casually construct up over $100 trillion in debt in our lifetimes, and folks will simply proceed to be chill with it and mortgage us cash?”
Crypto influencer Wendy O weighed in with skepticism: “Bitcoin won’t ever be a reserve foreign money due to its volatility. However it is going to be desired. A stablecoin… sure.”
In the meantime, HODL15Capital echoed Armstrong’s concern from a special angle: “Bitcoin has no high as a result of fiat printing won’t ever finish.”
Elon Musk retweeted the put up and replied with an American flag emoji.
Elon Musk splits from Republican spending agenda
Musk seems genuinely annoyed with the present administration after leaving his White Home place. He attacked Republican Congressmen who voted in favor of the ‘One Huge Lovely Invoice,’ calling it “a disgusting abomination” in authorities spending.
Musk additionally echoed Armstrong’s sentiment in one other put up:
“Curiosity funds already devour 25% of all authorities income. If the large deficit spending continues, there’ll solely be cash for curiosity funds and nothing else.”
Musk’s late-night tirade continued throughout a number of posts, claiming, “Mammoth spending payments are bankrupting America!”
He additionally referred to as for firing all politicians who supported the invoice in subsequent yr’s midterms, declaring,
“In November subsequent yr, we fireplace all politicians who betrayed the American individuals.”
The assertion was made whereas quote-tweeting a put up by Matt Van Swol highlighting GOP overspending, ignoring DOGE cuts, and spending an excessive amount of time on trip. All however 5 Republican congressmen voted ‘YES‘ on the controversial invoice, whereas all 214 Democrats voted ‘NO.’
US authorities spending disaster looms
The backdrop to this discourse is a troubling fiscal trajectory. In line with Congressional Funds Workplace estimates, the curiosity on the federal debt alone will method $1 trillion this yr and will double by the mid-2030s.
Rising entitlement prices, pandemic-era spending, and bipartisan reluctance to boost taxes or minimize well-liked packages have all contributed to ballooning deficits.
The greenback’s place as the worldwide reserve foreign money has lengthy been underpinned by the dimensions and perceived stability of the U.S. financial system and deep and liquid Treasury markets.
Changing that infrastructure with Bitcoin would require seismic shifts in financial coverage, monetary regulation, and sovereign conduct.
Bitcoin sits in wait with institutional integration
Nonetheless, institutional curiosity in Bitcoin continues to develop. With BTC buying and selling above $100,000 in 2025 and spot ETFs now broadly out there, the narrative of Bitcoin as “digital gold” has moved from the fringes into boardrooms. But, it stays a comparatively risky asset and lacks the macroeconomic levers, akin to rates of interest and financial management, that underpin fiat programs. Nonetheless, Bitcoin volatility is declining, lowering the energy of this criticism.
Armstrong’s warning is a part of a broader discourse about monetary self-discipline and the long-term viability of the present financial system. It additionally highlights the idea amongst Bitcoin advocates that decentralized property will more and more operate as alternate options to fiat currencies if inflationary and financial pressures proceed unchecked.
For now, Bitcoin is unlikely to turn out to be a real reserve foreign money within the close to time period. However as America’s debt burden rises and confidence in conventional financial coverage falters, the thought is not unthinkable. Armstrong and Musk consider the hyperbitcoinization clock is ticking.
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