Bitwise CIO says AI stocks and Bitcoin should be held together amid $40T U.S. debt

With U.S. national debt nearing $40 trillion, Bitwise CIO Matt Hougan said investors should hold both AI-related stocks and Bitcoin to prepare for two possible paths as the Treasury addresses the debt burden. Hougan said U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent faces the task of keeping economic growth above 3% while reducing the fiscal deficit. One scenario is that productivity gains from AI adoption lift growth and ease debt pressures, in which case technology stocks, particularly AI chipmakers and processor companies, would stand to benefit significantly. If growth falls short of expectations, however, he said higher inflation could become an unavoidable way to reduce the real debt burden, making Bitcoin a key hedging asset in that environment.