Venmo and PayPal Now Let Users Chip In—Can Crypto Crowdsourcing Save the US Debt Crisis?

Move over, bake sales—Silicon Valley's payment giants are turning everyday users into micro-philanthropists for Uncle Sam. Venmo and PayPal just rolled out a 'Pay Your Taxes' feature with delusions of grandeur: letting citizens voluntarily donate toward reducing the $34 trillion national debt.

Because nothing says 'patriotism' like Venmo-ing the Treasury Department between splitting brunch tabs.

The mechanics? Dead simple. Users can now send funds directly to the Bureau of the Fiscal Service (labeled 'Gift to Reduce Debt Held by the Public' for maximum virtue-signaling). No word yet if they'll accept Bitcoin—though given the government's track record with crypto, that bridge may stay unburned.

Will it move the needle? Unlikely. But between this and the IRS's crypto tracking tools, 2025's shaping up to be a banner year for performative finance.

US Government adds PayPal to Help Lowering Surging National Debt: a Cry for Help?

According to the US Treasury Department, the national debt has risen by over 87% in the last fifteen years. There has been plenty of criticism over the new development from experts and everyday Americans alike. Samson Mow, CEO of Bitcoin technology firm JAN3, compares the effort to “sending Bitcoin to a burn address.”

Meanwhile, Bridgewater Associates founder RAY Dalio warns that the US is nearing financial crisis over the growing debt “We are spending 40% more than our income,” he said, adding that “we’re approaching the point where we may need to borrow just to pay the interest on our existing debt — this is the classic debt death spiral.”

The US debt has long been a concern, but one that has been disregarded by policymakers. US President Donald Trump’s recently enacted “Big, Beautiful Bill” is projected to add an additional $3.4 trillion to the debt over the next decade, according to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office.