TLDR
- Ray Dalio recommends investors overweight gold and “a bit of Bitcoin” over bonds
- Dalio suggests holding 10% to 15% of a portfolio in gold to reduce risk
- U.S. debt crossed $40 trillion this week, with Bitcoin rallying toward $80,000
- Dalio warns a U.S. debt crisis could arrive within three to five years
- Odds of a Fed rate hike have climbed above 50% as inflation pressures grow
Billionaire investor and Bridgewater Associates founder Ray Dalio has again urged investors to buy Bitcoin and gold as protection against a growing U.S. debt crisis.
https://t.co/VXVQj5NGAc
— Ray Dalio (@RayDalio) August 21, 2026
Dalio shared his view in a LinkedIn post on Friday, warning that rising debt could soon reach levels the U.S. government can no longer handle without serious consequences.
Dalio’s Advice on Bitcoin and Gold
Dalio said investors should underweight debt assets like bonds and overweight gold and “a bit of Bitcoin.” He suggested holding between 10% to 15% of a portfolio in gold to help reduce overall risk.
“My guess is that [a U.S. debt crisis] will come in three years, give or take two, if the course we’re on is not changed,” Dalio said.
His comments come as U.S. debt crossed the $40 trillion mark earlier this week. Bitcoin responded by rallying toward $80,000, up from around $63,000 earlier in the week.
Dalio has not always been a strong Bitcoin advocate. In 2022, he said holding 1% to 2% of Bitcoin was “reasonable.” In July 2025, he said he held “some, but not much” Bitcoin and recommended up to 15% combined in Bitcoin and gold.
He has previously argued Bitcoin cannot replace gold as a store of value and has raised concerns about quantum computing risks and privacy.
U.S. Debt at a Turning Point
Dalio said the government’s financial situation is at an inflection point. He warned that waiting until the economy weakens to act on debt would make the problem far harder to solve.
“When the economy is in a contraction, the government’s borrowing needs increase a lot,” he said.
Bitcoin’s rally was also tied to a U.S. Treasury announcement of plans to at least double its debt buyback program. This came after the 30-year Treasury yield rose to its highest level since 2007.
The ongoing U.S.-Iran conflict is adding pressure to the economy, pushing energy prices and inflation higher. Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh has pledged to keep prices stable, even as pressure mounts to raise interest rates.
Odds of a Fed rate hike now sit above 50%, according to prediction market platform Polymarket, as the Fed faces a difficult balancing act between inflation and economic growth.
Dalio also noted that political shifts and geopolitical events, like wars, can speed up or delay a debt crisis.
His net worth is estimated at over $15 billion, giving his investment views wide attention across financial markets.