U.S. debt continues to rise, and it’s growing faster than ever. Is the U.S. economy heading for a crash? Yes, according to an independent analyst who is sounding the alarm. In light of this, alternative assets—including cryptocurrencies—could come out on top.
U.S. debt is growing faster than ever
The Peter G. Peterson Foundation, a nonpartisan organization dedicated to U.S. fiscal sustainability, sounded the alarm this week. In a report, it noted that U.S. debt—already at astronomical levels—has accelerated even further. In two months, the debt increased by $1,000 billion.
To put this figure in perspective, it’s worth noting that U.S. debt increased by $71,253 per second over the past year, which amounts to an increase of $6.1 billion in debt per day. At this point, it stands at more than $38,000 billion.
According to Michael Peterson, the situation is therefore more critical than ever:
If it feels like the debt is piling up faster than ever, it’s because it is. We crossed the 37,000 billion mark just two months ago, and the current pace is twice as fast as that observed since 2000.
Levels that keep climbing
According to the analysis published this week, the current rate of increase is “unsustainable,” and it has only accelerated since the start of the U.S. government shutdown:
The current policy is not sustainable.
The acceleration in the pace is due in particular to deficit spending, interest rate hikes, and the impact of government services that have been shut down since the beginning of the month.
U.S. 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 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) had also sounded the alarm, estimating that the law would add several thousand billion dollars to the debt over the next 10 years. The first thousand billion has just been reached in two months.
Debt: An Increasingly Heavy Burden on Western Economies
The burden of debt is an issue affecting many Western countries… Including France, which is currently mired in a budget crisis. In France, the debt stands at 3,416 billion dollars, or 113% of GDP. The United States is similarly indebted, with debt at 120% of GDP according to the latest available data.
Hence Michael Peterson’s unequivocal conclusion:
Adding one thousand billion after another to the debt and governing by managing budget crises is no way to lead a great nation.
Digital assets as an alternative?
Faced with this wall of debt, which at this stage seems insurmountable, alternative assets tend to rise. Gold set record after record throughout 2025, as investors flocked to this quintessential safe-haven asset.
As for Bitcoin, it 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 extend to stocks—Wall Street has also posted strong gains in recent months.
This trend could therefore be sustainable, given a faltering dollar and macroeconomic conditions that are far from stable.
Source: US Debt Clock, Fortune
