Hotcoin Research | Uncovering the Trump Family's Crypto Empire: How Political Capital Turns into Wealth in the Crypto World?
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Hotcoin Research | Uncovering the Trump Family's Crypto Empire: How Political Capital Turns into Wealth in the Crypto World?
The "Trump crypto phenomenon" serves as both a powerful amplifier for crypto assets moving into the mainstream and a real demonstration of the interaction among power, capital, and public opinion.
Navigating Web3 tides with focused insights1. Introduction
During his campaign, Trump pledged to become the "crypto president," advocating that digital assets could improve the banking system and strengthen the dollar's dominance. After taking office, he swiftly appointed crypto-friendly officials to key regulatory positions and advanced multiple policies favorable to industry development, paving the way for his family’s broad push into the crypto space. Since then, the Trump family has bundled political influence, media attention, and capital tools into an "accelerator," rapidly building a diversified crypto asset portfolio across multiple tracks through Trump Media & Technology Group, family subsidiaries, and joint ventures: from launching personal Meme coins to creating stablecoins USD1 and the WLFI platform, to treasury strategies for crypto assets, Bitcoin mining companies, NFTs, and crypto ETFs—forming a business empire spanning the entire crypto ecosystem.
This article uncovers the path by which the Trump family leverages political influence and capital leverage to reshape wealth. It breaks down, module by module, the background and performance of the Trump family’s crypto business landscape—including Meme coins, stablecoins and DeFi platforms, exchange treasury strategies, mining public companies, NFTs, and ETFs—and summarizes both opportunities and potential risks of their crypto strategy. This aims to help investors rationally understand the "Trump crypto phenomenon" amid a mix of hype and risk.
2. Personal Meme Coins and Crypto Dinner Marketing
On January 18, 2025, just before being re-inaugurated as U.S. President, Trump launched his personal Meme coin $TRUMP on the Solana blockchain. The token is 80% held by Fight Fight Fight, a company jointly controlled by CIC Digital and CIC, subsidiaries of the Trump Organization. On January 20, Melania Trump also rode the wave by launching her own crypto Meme coin $MELANIA, fueling global FOMO. These two tokens lack underlying technological innovation; their value is primarily driven by online popularity and political discourse, making them pure "emotional gambling" assets. Fueled by fervent support from Trump backers and viral social media exposure, $TRUMP surged to a market cap of around $9 billion shortly after launch, with trading volume briefly surpassing BTC and ranking among top Meme coins. Following closely, $MELANIA peaked at approximately $1.6 billion in market cap. This frenzy even outperformed many mainstream crypto projects, highlighting the immense power of the Trump brand in the crypto world.
However, the boom was short-lived. As initial speculation faded, both Meme coins sharply declined. As of now, $TRUMP’s market cap has fallen to about $1.7 billion—down over 80% from its peak—while $MELANIA has plunged to just $144 million, less than 10% of its high. Many retail investors who bought at the top suffered heavy losses, sparking widespread criticism of the Trump family. Industry commentators have sharply accused the Trumps of "harvesting韭菜 (cutting leeks)," exploiting supporter trust to cash in on the crypto craze. Social media is filled with critiques accusing the presidential couple of profiting from worthless tokens, damaging public interest and the dignity of the presidency.
Source:https://www.coingecko.com/en/coins/official-trump
The Trump family appears unapologetic about directly leveraging political influence for token marketing. In May 2025, Trump hosted a "crypto dinner" at his private club, inviting the top 220 holders of $TRUMP Meme coin to dine with him. Each guest had to donate $1.5 million to attend, raising tens of millions of dollars for Trump. Overnight, Washington’s elite political dinners turned into a "whales’ meet-up" for the crypto community. This high-profile move triggered strong concern among Democratic lawmakers and ethics watchdogs, who criticized Trump for shaping pro-crypto regulations while his family simultaneously profits heavily from the sector—posing serious conflict-of-interest risks.
3. World Liberty Financial: The Trump Family’s Core DeFi Platform
The centerpiece of the Trump family’s crypto ambitions is the decentralized finance platform World Liberty Financial (WLF). Launched in September 2024 by Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, the project gained prominence after Trump won the presidential election. WLF positions itself as an all-in-one DeFi ecosystem, featuring key products such as the governance token WLFI and the U.S. dollar-pegged stablecoin USD1. In return, Trump-affiliated entities, via DT Marks DEFI LLC, hold nearly 60% equity in WLF’s parent company and are entitled to 75% of the platform’s token sale proceeds. The Trump family and associated parties were pre-allocated 22.5 billion WLFI tokens—a massive share equivalent to being major shareholders in a traditional corporation. The WLFI website lists Trump himself as “Chief Crypto Advocate” and “Honorary Co-Founder,” while Eric and Donald Jr. are titled “Web3 Ambassadors.”
WLFI Governance Token: WLFI officially began trading on September 1, 2025, drawing significant market attention. It opened at $0.20, briefly spiking to $0.40 within minutes before closing around $0.23. According to CoinGecko data, as of September 4, WLFI’s total market cap stood at approximately $5 billion, ranking it 41st globally among crypto tokens. Given the Trump family’s holding of 22.5 billion WLFI tokens, their paper wealth was estimated at around $5 billion at current prices—surpassing the combined valuation of all real estate and golf courses under the Trump Organization. Although WLFI’s debut underperformed some early investors’ expectations, the Trump family had already secured substantial gains through special agreements. ALT5 Sigma invested $1.5 billion to purchase tokens, with 75% of net proceeds from sales contractually allocated to the Trump family. WLF confirmed it had sold over 7.5 billion WLFI tokens (about 8% of total supply) to ALT5, instantly generating hundreds of millions in cash for the family and avoiding exposure to secondary market volatility.
Source:https://www.coingecko.com/en/coins/world-liberty-financial
USD1 Stablecoin Strategy: Beyond the WLFI token, WLF’s USD1 stablecoin has also grown rapidly. Launched in March 2025, USD1 is pegged to the U.S. dollar and claims backing by high-quality assets such as U.S. Treasuries and cash. Leveraging the Trump family’s fame and regulatory compliance narrative, USD1 quickly amassed circulation. As of September 4, USD1’s issuance reached $2.6 billion, making it one of the fastest-growing new stablecoins. MGX, an institution under Abu Dhabi’s sovereign wealth fund, announced plans to use $2 billion worth of USD1 to participate in Binance’s investment round. While ethics experts criticized this as potentially involving quid pro quo, there’s no denying USD1 has entered the ranks of major global stablecoins. WLF also plans to launch its own Layer 1 blockchain for real-world asset tokenization, attracting expressions of collaboration interest from traditional financial giants like Franklin Templeton and Google Cloud.
Diversified Crypto Asset Reserves: To enhance risk resilience and expand influence, WLF introduced a “macro strategy reserve” plan, actively allocating various mainstream crypto assets. Strategic holdings now include Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), TRON (TRX), Chainlink (LINK), Sui (SUI), and Ondo (ONDO), aimed at buffering market volatility, funding DeFi innovation, and building robust capital reserves.
Source:https://intel.arkm.com/explorer/entity/worldlibertyfi
Overall, the Trump family aims to turn WLF into a comprehensive crypto financial empire integrating stablecoins, lending, and on-chain governance. Backed by the Trump name, WLF rose from obscurity to crypto unicorn status within a year. However, its aggressive profit-sharing model and entanglement of politics and business cast shadows over its long-term credibility.
4. Trump Media Group: Bitcoin and CRO Treasury Strategy
The Trump family’s expansion into crypto is also evident in the strategic transformation of Trump Media & Technology Group. In May 2025, the group announced raising $2.5 billion through stock and bond offerings to aggressively buy Bitcoin as treasury reserves, mimicking MicroStrategy’s model by adding Bitcoin to its balance sheet. To date, approximately 41% of the group’s equity is held in a trust under Donald Trump Jr., with this stake valued at around $2 billion. This demonstrates how the Trump family is using the media group as a vehicle to combine traditional operations with crypto assets for wealth appreciation.
In addition, Trump Media Group partnered with Crypto.com to establish a strategic reserve for its platform token CRO. In August 2025, the two formed a new entity called “Trump Media Group CRO Strategy,” dedicated to accumulating CRO tokens. Disclosed funding includes 6.3 billion CRO tokens, $200 million in cash, $220 million in warrants, and a $5 billion equity credit line from investment firm Yorkville. This move effectively gives the Trump family control over a significant portion of CRO’s circulating supply, deeply binding them to the Crypto.com ecosystem.
Beyond direct crypto holdings, Trump Media Group is advancing crypto investment vehicles in traditional markets. It is collaborating with Yorkville to prepare at least three cryptocurrency-related exchange-traded funds (ETFs), covering Bitcoin spot, Bitcoin + Ethereum combo, and index funds including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, XRP, and CRO. If approved, these ETFs would further solidify the Trump family’s influence in regulated crypto investment channels.
5. American Bitcoin: Bitcoin Mining Operations
The Trump family’s ambitions in the crypto industry extend beyond token issuance and investment into foundational sectors like Bitcoin mining. In March 2025, Eric Trump spearheaded the formation of a joint venture focused on Bitcoin mining, aiming to integrate family resources with existing mining technology to become a central player in the U.S. mining landscape. Soon after, Eric merged assets with North American veteran miner Hut 8 to form a new Bitcoin mining company—American Bitcoin Corp. Public filings show Eric Trump serves as co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) of American Bitcoin, holding about 9.3% equity, while his brother Donald Jr. reportedly holds a similar stake. Together, they own around 20%, with Hut 8 retaining about 80% of the new company. From inception, American Bitcoin declared ambitious goals, vowing to become the “largest and most efficient pure-play Bitcoin mining company in the world.”
On September 3, 2025, American Bitcoin officially listed on Nasdaq via a stock swap merger with Gryphon Digital Mining, under the ticker “ABTC.” Its debut was explosive: shares opened strongly, peaking at $14.52—nearly doubling from the IPO price, with gains approaching 103%. Though prices later cooled, ABTC closed at $8.04, still up about 16.5% from its offering price. Such enthusiasm for a newcomer reflects the powerful draw of the “Trump” brand and optimistic market expectations for U.S. Bitcoin mining under relaxed regulation.
Eric Trump openly stated, “Crypto now takes up almost half my focus.” To promote the American Bitcoin industry, Eric has frequently traveled to the Middle East and Asia, advocating for crypto in Dubai, Hong Kong, and Tokyo. While Eric dismissed conflict-of-interest criticisms as “absurd” and insisted his father “has no involvement in our business,” public discourse continues calling for stricter firewalls to prevent policy-making from being tainted by private gain.
6. NFTs and Crypto Treasury Strategies
Beyond the core areas above, the Trump family’s crypto ventures extend into NFT collectibles and financial instruments. As early as late 2022, Trump himself launched an NFT series called “Trump Digital Trading Cards,” portraying himself as superheroes and other characters to sell digital collectibles—sparking heated debate. Despite mixed reactions initially, Trump’s first NFT drop sold out quickly and resold at multiples of the original price, proving the market potential of celebrity NFTs. According to financial disclosures filed by Trump with the U.S. government in June 2025, he earned approximately $1.16 million from NFT sales, while Melania made about $216,700 from licensing her NFT series. Though modest compared to their other crypto ventures, these figures signal the family’s early recognition of the digital collectibles trend.
In capital markets, the Trump family has also invested in crypto-focused institutions. For instance, both Eric and Donald Jr. each hold about 6.3% equity in Dominari Holdings, a crypto treasury company, reflecting their interest in the “crypto treasury” concept. This aligns with their efforts in the Trump Media Group CRO Strategy to build a CRO reserve—part of a broader vision to create a crypto “national treasury.” Additionally, rumors persist of close ties between the Trump family and major exchanges, including speculation about investments in Binance. These moves illustrate the family’s pervasive presence across the crypto landscape, strategically positioning themselves to capture profits throughout the industry chain.
7. Conclusion: The “Trump Crypto Phenomenon” – Opportunities and Risks
The Trump family’s high-profile entry into crypto has rapidly expanded their wealth. Compared to traditional real estate, crypto ventures offer explosive growth potential, successfully turning “Trump” into a hot IP in the crypto world. By channeling political influence, media traffic, and capital operations into the crypto space, they’ve accelerated narratives of “crypto mainstreaming” and capital inflows. Yet, project fundamentals, governance transparency, and regulatory boundaries will ultimately determine how far this trajectory can go.
Opportunities: Accelerating Mainstream Adoption of Crypto Narratives
- Policy and Compliance Expectations: Presidential endorsement and favorable policy signals reduce “reputational risk” for traditional institutions, making it easier for compliant capital to enter.
- Traffic and Distribution Power: The family’s IP generates instant visibility, amplifying attention and liquidity for new categories like stablecoins, platform tokens, treasuries, and mining stocks.
- Industrial Chain Synergy: From media/traffic gateways to DeFi platforms (WLFI/USD1), exchange partnerships (CRO treasury), and mining (ABTC), vertical integration can create a “multiplier effect” during bull cycles.
- Institutional Demonstration: High-profile political and business families entering the space reduce “first-mover anxiety,” offering allocation references for pensions and family offices.
Risks: Potential Landmines
- Ethics and Regulatory Backlash: Blurred lines between power and private gain may trigger policy reversal and regulatory uncertainty; if public scrutiny or investigations intensify, related assets could face “systematic devaluation.”
- Project Sustainability and Valuation Support: The long-term value of WLFI/USD1 depends on on-chain revenue, reserve audits, and governance transparency—not just IP-driven hype. Meme assets ($TRUMP/$MELANIA) rely heavily on sentiment and headlines, exhibiting extreme price elasticity and deep drawdowns.
- Structural and Liquidity Risks: Highly concentrated token ownership, unlock schedules, related-party transactions, and custody arrangements amplify trading and market-making risks. On the mining side (ABTC), additional volatility comes from hash rate, electricity costs, and Bitcoin’s market cycle.
In summary, the “Trump crypto phenomenon” acts as a powerful amplifier for crypto’s mainstream adoption, while also serving as a real-world demonstration of the interplay between power, capital, and public opinion. The Trump family’s crypto expansion reflects both their commercial ambition to rapidly monetize personal influence and a microcosm of the current crypto industry—rife with both excitement and peril. When facing “Trump-themed tokens,” only a rational assessment of opportunities and risks can help investors identify truly valuable opportunities in this new financial revolution.
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