Billionaire investor Ray Dalio warns the post-World War II global order has broken down, entering a “law of the jungle” phase defined by power struggles. This environment of geopolitical and monetary stress is leading crypto advocates to renew the case for Bitcoin and other apolitical assets designed to operate outside state control.
Ray Dalio stated the post-World War II order has officially broken down. He described a shift into a “law of the jungle” phase where great powers are locked in a persistent prisoner’s dilemma across trade, technology, and military flashpoints.
Dalio warned this external disorder combines with internal economic strain and widening wealth gaps. He said governments then typically respond with higher taxes and “big increases in the supply of money” that devalue currency rather than causing explicit defaults.
That specific combination is an environment where apolitical assets like Bitcoin and gold have historically thrived. Crypto advocates argue investors will increasingly seek assets that can be held and transferred without relying on a bank or state-backed system.
Data shows the global broad money supply has surged from $26 trillion in 2000 to an estimated $142 trillion in 2025. According to former fund manager Asymmetry, every major Bitcoin rally has coincided with such M2 money supply expansion.
Dalio’s framework also highlights how states use asset freezes and capital bans as standard tactics. This demonstrates the political discretion and jurisdictional risk embedded in traditional savings and payments networks.
Bitwise CEO Hunter Horsley captured the sentiment by asking, “Is anyone working on global, permissionless, apolitical monetary assets and financial rails?? Could be important.” Asymmetry argued this fracturing world order layered with fiscal dominance creates a structurally bullish backdrop for hard assets.
The investment case for crypto remains sensitive to interest rates, regulation, and market liquidity. However, Dalio’s comments provide a macro narrative that many are using to argue demand for “neutral money” could rise as the world becomes more fractured.
