US debt continues to rise, and at a faster rate than ever before. Is the US economy heading for disaster? Yes, according to an independent analyst who is sounding the alarm. In light of this, alternative assets, including cryptocurrencies, could come out on top.
US debt is growing faster than ever
The Peter G. Peterson Foundation, a non-partisan organization dedicated to fiscal sustainability in the United States, sounded the alarm this week. In a report, it indicated that US debt, already at staggering levels, has accelerated its growth. In two months, the debt has increased by $1 trillion.
To put this figure into perspective, it is worth noting that US debt has increased by $71,253 per second over the past year, which corresponds to an increase of $6.1 billion per day. At this point, it stands at over $38 trillion.
According to Michael Peterson, the situation is therefore more critical than ever:
If it feels like debt is accumulating faster than ever, that’s because it is. We passed $37 trillion just two months ago, and the current pace is twice as fast as it has been since 2000.
Levels that continue to climb
According to the analysis published this week, the current rate of increase is “unsustainable,” and it has only accelerated since the start of the shutdown in the United States:
The current policy is not viable.
The acceleration in the pace is due in particular to deficit spending, interest rate hikes, and the impact of public services, which have been at a standstill since the beginning of the month.
US President Donald Trump’s economic policy has also contributed to cutting off potential sources of revenue for the government. The “Big Beautiful Bill” of July 2025, criticized by many economists, included an increase in tax deductions, an increase in the debt ceiling, and a permanent extension of tax cuts.
Since this summer, the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget (CRFB) has also been sounding the alarm, estimating that the law would add several trillion dollars to the debt over the next 10 years. The first trillion has just been reached in two months.
Debt, an increasingly heavy burden on Western economies
The weight of debt is an issue that affects many Western countries… Including France, which is currently embroiled in a budget crisis. In France, the debt stands at $3.416 trillion, or 113% of GDP. The United States is similarly indebted, with 120% of GDP according to the latest available data.
Hence Michael Peterson’s unequivocal conclusion:
Adding trillion after trillion to the debt and governing by managing budget crises is no way to run a great nation.
Digital assets as an alternative?
Faced with this wall of debt, which seems insurmountable at this stage, alternative assets are tending to climb. Gold broke record after record throughout 2025, with investors flocking to this ultimate safe haven.
Bitcoin also reached an all-time high in early October, although its trajectory has been mostly downward since then. The flight to risky assets may also affect stocks—Wall Street has also performed well in recent months. The trend could therefore be sustainable, given the faltering dollar and macroeconomic conditions that are far from stable. Source: US Debt Clock, Fortune
