At the Reagan National Economic Forum in California on May 29–30, JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon cast a warning about the future of the U.S. dollar’s dominance as the world’s reserve currency. While acknowledging China as a potential threat, Dimon stressed that the real danger comes from within the United States.
“China is a potential adversary. They’re doing a lot of things well. They have a lot of problems. What I’m really worried about is us. Can we get our own act together? Our own values, our own capabilities, our own management,” he said.
Dimon’s remarks reflect growing concern over U.S. fiscal and political management. He warned that excessive government spending and aggressive quantitative easing by the Federal Reserve have set the stage for a potential crisis in the bond market.
“A crack in the bond market is going to happen,” Dimon said. “I just don’t know if it’s going to be a crisis in six months or six years, and I’m hoping that we change both the trajectory of the debt and the ability of market makers to make markets. Unfortunately, it may be that we need that to wake us up.”
He also pointed to ongoing trade tensions, particularly with China, and the unpredictable impact of tariffs, which he said have yet to be fully felt by the economy.
“Considering the accumulation of factors that are bordering on extreme, I don’t believe we can forecast the outcomes accurately. The likelihood of inflation rising along with stagflation seems higher than many anticipate,” Dimon noted.
He added that U.S. trading partners increasingly seek alternative agreements with other countries, potentially accelerating a trend away from the dollar.
Dimon’s comments resonated beyond the financial sector. Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, and head of the DOGE initiative to reduce wasteful government spending, reposted a clip of Dimon’s remarks on social media, adding simply, “he’s right.”
The implications could be profound if the dollar were to lose its reserve currency status. The U.S. would likely face higher borrowing costs, and the global financial system could enter a period of instability. Countries seeking alternatives to the dollar, such as China and Russia, could gain greater influence in international trade and finance.
However, the sheer scale and liquidity of U.S. financial markets, combined with the dollar’s central role in global trade, make it difficult for any other currency to replace it. The U.S. is also exploring new ways to maintain dollar hegemony through digital innovations such as dollar-backed stablecoins.
At the Bitcoin 2025 Conference in Las Vegas last week, U.S. Vice President JD Vance strongly backed stablecoins, describing them as a “force multiplier” for U.S. economic power and emphasizing that the current administration does not view them as a threat to the integrity of the U.S. dollar.
Dimon also acknowledged the resilience of the U.S. economy while insisting that the current moment is critical. He urged policymakers to address issues such as regulation, taxation, immigration, education, and healthcare, and to maintain key military alliances.
Without urgent action to address internal challenges, he warned, the dollar’s preeminence could be at risk, with far-reaching consequences for the U.S. and the global economy.
