Money is supposed to hold its value. Ours doesn’t.

The short version

1. Dollars can be made at will.

   There are 5.0× as many dollars as in 2000. The amount of stuff we make grew only 1.8×. More money chasing the same stuff means higher prices.

   • Dollars5.0×

   • Stuff we make1.8×

   Sources: Federal Reserve, M2 money stock (via FRED), as of September 2026; BEA, real GDP (via FRED), as of Q3 2026.

   How the leak works

2. So savings in dollars shrink.

   $10,000 put in an average savings account in April 2021 grew to $10,171. But by September 2026, buying the same things cost $12,617.

   • Cost of the same things$12,617

   • Savings balance$10,171

     $2,446 short

   Sources: FDIC national savings rate (via FRED), as of September 2026; BLS, CPI-U monthly (via FRED), as of September 2026.

   See the savings example

3. The debt makes it hard to stop.

   The U.S. government spent $1.05 trillion on interest alone in fiscal year 2026. Raising taxes or cutting spending is painful. Making more dollars is the easy way out.

   • Interest on the debt$1.05 trillion

   • National defense$965 billion

   Source: U.S. Treasury, Monthly Treasury Statement, Table 9, as of fiscal year 2026 (ended September 30, 2026).

   Follow the debt

4. Bitcoin can’t be made at will.

   There will only ever be 21 million. New supply grows less than 0.9% a year and is cut in half about every four years. No one can print more and shrink your share.

   • Dollars (average since 2000)6.2%

   • Bitcoin nowunder 0.9%

   Sources: Federal Reserve, M2 money stock (via FRED), as of September 2026; Bitcoin Core source code, GetBlockSubsidy (the supply rule every node enforces), as of current rules (reward of 3.125 bitcoin per block since April 2024).

   Why a fixed supply matters

That’s the case. Bitcoin gives savers a kind of money no one can water down. It is not a way to get rich quick. Its price swings a lot, so only save what you can leave alone for years.