What Happens When a Country Prints Money to “Fix” Its Problems?
History already answered this.
And the answer was… pain.
In November 1923, during Germany’s hyperinflation:
👉 $1 = 4.2 TRILLION German marks
People didn’t use wallets.
They used wheelbarrows to buy bread.
How It Broke
Before WWI
Germany used the Goldmark, backed by gold.
Money had limits.
During WWI
To fund the war, Germany:
• Dropped the gold standard
• Printed paper money
• Created the Papiermark (fiat money)
At first, it worked.
Then it didn’t.
Hyperinflation (1921–1924)
To pay debts, expenses, and striking workers during the Ruhr occupation,
the government printed even more money.
The result:
• 1922: $1 ≈ 160 marks
• 1923: $1 ≈ 4.2 trillion marks
Wages were paid multiple times a day because money lost value by the hour.
Banknotes were issued up to 100 trillion marks.
Money didn’t fade.
It collapsed.
Now Look at Today 👀
What happens when a government:
• Runs massive debt
• Can’t cut spending
• Chooses to print instead?
Sound familiar?
Bitcoin vs. Money Printing
• Fiat expands when governments need it
• Bitcoin has a fixed supply — no printing button
• Altcoins vary (some inflate, some disappear)
When printing accelerates:
• Fiat loses purchasing power
• Scarce assets gain attention
• Bitcoin acts less like “tech” and more like insurance
Final Thought
Hyperinflation doesn’t start with chaos.
It starts with “just this once.”
History doesn’t repeat exactly —
but it rhymes loudly.
The real question isn’t if printing has consequences.