Anthony Scaramucci said U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's warning on global debt was the most bitcoin-friendly message. Scaramucci said Bessent's remarks, regardless of intent, highlighted bitcoin's core argument.

On Sept. 3, blockchain outlet U.Today reported that Scaramucci, founder of SkyBridge Capital, wrote on X that "Bessent stood in front of the G20 and said the world is drowning in debt," adding, "The entire logic of bitcoin is that one sentence." He also said, "20 finance ministers aired the best bitcoin advertisement of the year, but none of them intended it."

The reaction came after Bessent raised sovereign debt as a key agenda item at a meeting of G20 finance ministers and central bank governors held in Asheville, North Carolina, on Aug. 31 and Sept. 1. Bessent was not speaking in support of bitcoin. He stressed that expanding growth was more important than austerity to resolve the massive debt governments have accumulated.

Bessent was reported to have said at the meeting, "The world is submerged in debt." He also argued that the United States and other economies should overcome debt burdens through economic growth rather than spending cuts or contractionary measures. Major economies are seeking ways to manage debt sustainability under shared pressures such as higher government borrowing costs, ageing populations and low productivity growth.

A G20 chair's statement also separately said it would continue to respond to challenges related to debt sustainability. At the same time, markets revisited a long-standing argument from bitcoin supporters that excessive government borrowing and persistent fiscal deficits could erode the purchasing power of fiat currencies over the long term.

Scaramucci attached significance to a senior U.S. Treasury official publicly acknowledging the scale of global debt in front of top financial authorities. He said such remarks put the spotlight back on the problem bitcoin was originally designed to address.

Market prices also strengthened. Bitcoin rose as high as $81,332 intraday, according to CoinGecko. It is not confirmed that the price move had a direct causal link to Bessent's remarks.

Against this backdrop, the debate is focusing on what kind of asset bitcoin is being accepted as in an environment of rising global debt burdens. Finance authorities say debt problems should be solved through growth, while bitcoin supporters say the same diagnosis increases the need for digital assets.