Here's a striking metric worth your attention: During the first two months of US Fiscal Year 2026, net interest payments on public debt surged by $19 billion year-over-year, reaching $179 billion. Let that sink in—interest expenses have now become the second-largest government spending category, trailing only Social Security at $268 billion. For perspective, this outpaces Medicare and most other major budget lines. The trajectory is hard to ignore when you're thinking about long-term economic headwinds and asset allocation strategies. As debt servicing costs accelerate, the fiscal picture becomes increasingly relevant to understanding inflation pressures, monetary policy moves, and broader market dynamics that ultimately affect crypto valuations.