Even if every Bitcoin on Earth belonged to America, it wouldn’t be enough to solve the debt crisis, experts say.
Source picture: Bitcoinkoers.org
In a surprising twist at a recent White House press conference, U.S. President Donald J. Trump floated a bold idea: using Bitcoin to help reduce the nation’s multi-trillion dollar debt. Known for his growing interest in cryptocurrencies, Trump claimed that Bitcoin could ease pressure on the U.S. dollar while helping create jobs and stimulating the economy.
But according to analysts, even this unorthodox strategy can’t outrun basic math.
A Presidential Take on Crypto
Standing at the White House podium last Friday, Trump praised the cryptocurrency sector for its potential economic upside, including job creation and technological innovation. Most notably, he suggested that increasing adoption of Bitcoin (BTC) could relieve some of the burden placed on the U.S. dollar by global trade.
Trump went even further, suggesting that Bitcoin could serve as a tool to pay down the national debt—now well over $34 trillion. The remarks sent ripples through both political and financial circles.
Experts Quickly Throw Cold Water on the Plan
Crypto analysts were quick to do the math, and the numbers don’t lie: even if the U.S. owned every single Bitcoin in existence, it still wouldn’t come close to covering the national debt.
At current market valuations, all mined Bitcoin totals just under $1.3 trillion—a far cry from what’s needed to offset America’s liabilities. Experts labeled Trump’s proposal as symbolic at best, naive at worst.
Current U.S. National Debt: $37T
— Justin Bechler (@1914ad) June 16, 2025
Current Bitcoin Market Cap: $2T
Debt Covered If U.S. Owned ALL Bitcoin: ~5%
🚫 Even with 10x growth and the US owned all 21M Bitcoin, it wouldn’t be enough to reduce the debt.l by half.
Lummis’ BITCOIN Act is fantasy. https://t.co/NyIYTEa04k
One of the underlying themes of Trump’s comments is rooted in what's known as the Triffin Dilemma. This economic concept highlights the tension faced by countries whose currency serves as the global reserve. To maintain global liquidity, such countries often need to run persistent trade deficits, which in turn contributes to national debt and the devaluation of their currency.
Bitcoin, Trump seems to believe, could help soften that blow.
The Problem: Debt Can’t Be Mined Away
While Trump's idea may stem from real economic frustrations, critics argue it's fundamentally flawed. Governments, including the U.S., are unlikely to stop printing money anytime soon. Inflation, debt issuance, and monetary expansion are deeply embedded in modern financial systems.
And even if Bitcoin were used more widely, it wouldn’t eliminate the need for fiat-based monetary policy—especially in times of crisis or war.