Donald Trump, the 47th president of the United States, launched the Trump Coin ($TRUMP), a meme coin hosted on the Solana blockchain, on January 17, 2025. One billion coins were originally created. $TRUMP’s market cap stands at $15 billion, and the current CoinMarketCap ranking is #37, which means it’s more visible to potential investors and traders. As the name clearly suggests, Trump Coin supports the Trump administration and its conservative followers and patriots.
Trump Coin ($TRUMP), a meme coin image credit Jon Tyson unsplash
Three days before his presidential inauguration, Donald Trump launched his own cryptocurrency. The lack of a public announcement led to concerns that the meme coin was a scam and might be entirely independent of the president-elect. After a considerable delay, Trump announced the launch of Trump Coin on his X and Truth Social accounts. According to blockchain analysis firms Chainalysis and Merkle Science, $TRUMP generated between $86 million and $100 million in trading fees by January 30, far exceeding what was previously expected.
Shortly After Launching, The Price Of Trump Coin Rose By More Than 300%
The cryptocurrency venture was coordinated by CIC Digital LLC, an affiliate of the Trump Organization, which owns roughly 80% of $TRUMP. Trump Coin quickly became the top cryptocurrency pick for 2025, attracting over a half-million buyers as its value surged over 300% within minutes after launch. Shortly after the launch of $MELANIA, on January 19, the price of $TRUMP fell by more than half, from $75 to $50, though it recovered in subsequent hours. The current price of $TRUMP is $16.89, with a 24-hour trading volume of $962.55 million.
Scammers are now trying to capitalize on the president’s name and online presence. Leveraging the hype around the Trump Coin, digital imposters sent more than 700 unauthorized tokens to the wallets associated with the Trump team and $TRUMP creators, many of which started buying in hopes of riding the “insider trend.” What is more, worthless coins were sent to major centralized exchanges, such as OKX, Bitget, Crypto.com, and Bybit, to name a few.
Meme Coins Became Popular In 2013 With The Launch Of Dogecoin
Images of the original Doge meme were spammed on 4Chan and Reddit. In late December 2013, even members of the U.S. Congress produced material in the meme’s style, captioning, in Comic Sans, the incoherent thoughts of a cute Shiba Inu dog. Dogecoin was released on December 8, 2013, as a peer-to-peer, open-source cryptocurrency. Born as a joke, Dogecoin was never meant to be a popular investment; its creators did everything possible to ensure it wouldn’t, such as making it undesirable. Its low transaction fees, fast processing time, and supportive online following set it apart.
Meme coins rely on community-driven buzz and cultural relevance so they can gain significant market value. Though they are made primarily for fun, the popularity and virality of meme tokens can encourage immense adoption and trading activity, with simple strategies like dollar-cost averaging and setting stop-loss orders helping newcomers manage risk effectively. In 2015, it’s cheaper and easier than ever to launch and trade these digital assets. Meme coins are profitable investments but are just as volatile as other cryptocurrencies.
Crypto Executives Think Trump Undermines The Credibility Of The Industry
The Trump Coin has dropped in value since its inauguration, down 70% from its peak of around $75, meaning that investors and traders lost almost all the money they put in. Meme coins tend to be high-risk investments because they are influenced by prominent personalities or social media trends, which often leads to volatile price developments. They don’t have any potential use. Meme coins are purely speculative tokens. According to Danny Scott, CEO of CoinCorner, Trump’s lack of understanding of cryptocurrency suggests he is treating the industry with ridicule.
People can purchase $TRUMP with a debit card, while meme coins are typically traded for other cryptocurrencies. Trump supporters might not understand the risks involved in cryptocurrency investing or how the industry even works, which means that millions of Americans are betting on a volatile asset that carries substantial risk. Trump’s business venture creates a conflict of interest because he defines the crypto policy while directly participating in the market.
Recently, Trump made his Bitcoin Ordinals debut with the release of another NFT collection, but access to the 119-card collection is restricted to those who acquired the 100 cards from the January 2024 “Mugshot Edition.” Over the years, he has released other collections, which feature images of him clutching Bitcoin and performing his well-known dance. Trump’s moves into cryptocurrency are a matter of concern, given the industry is poised for laxer oversight.
Investors Hope The Trump Administration Will Push Cryptocurrencies Into The Mainstream
Upon his return to the White House, Trump promised to transform America into a “Bitcoin superpower.” He proposed creating a strategic Bitcoin reserve, restoring cryptocurrency mining, and deregulating the sector, which sparked significant discussion among market observers. The nomination of Paul Atkins for the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) could be very helpful in transforming this vision into a reality. Indeed, deregulation allows for greater exploration of blockchain technology’s disruptive potential, but advancing the cryptocurrency sector requires some new rules.
Not long ago, the president-elect signed an executive order to promote the advancement of cryptocurrency in the United States and strive to develop a national currency stockpile. It calls for the establishment of a working group to examine the possibility of a database of cryptocurrencies lawfully seized for regulatory and national security purposes. This database is referred to as the “crypto cache.” The Trump administration’s pro-cryptocurrency momentum is mainly driven by industry lobbyists with strong ties and millions in campaign spending.
Concluding Remarks
The Trump administration could offer a fresh start for FinTech after the Joe Biden years. It will essentially create a more favorable regulatory environment for cryptocurrency, which has surged in popularity as more and more people learn about it through social media. As the cryptocurrency market continues to evolve, meme coins like Trump Coin are gaining attention due to their viral nature and community support. The advantages of investing include building wealth and the ability to stay ahead of rising prices. Before you make any decision, figure out your goals and risk tolerance.