Digital currencies values surges amid expectation that new administration will support ‘crypto-friendly’ environment

Trump and Melania-themed digital tokens minted billions on paper for the first family while raising conflict-of-interest and foreign-influence concerns.

President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump have both have issued crypto meme coins that could earn them billions of dollars. The move is raising ethics concerns as the president promotes the cryptocurrency industry while experts say he's in a position to make determinations about it.

Days ahead of Trump's inauguration as President of the United States, scheduled for Monday, Jan. 20, Trump launched the $TRUMP memecoin on crypto platform Solana. The President-elect posted the news from his official X account, making it as official as can be.

President Donald Trump’s goodwill in the cryptocurrency industry has taken a hit after he and his wife launched meme coins — a move critics say looks like an unseemly cash grab that undermines an effort to legitimize digital assets.

Within hours, TRUMP skyrocketed in value, climbing from pennies to over $50, with a market cap over $10 billion. The coin now ranks among the world’s top 20 digital assets, attracting both investors and critics. Trump’s business arm holds 80% of the tokens, set to release gradually during his presidency.

Major exchanges, including Binance, Coinbase, and Robinhood, have listed TRUMP. Crypto exchanges, including Kraken and Bitmex, have listed MELANIA

Two days after Donald Trump launched the new $TRUMP cryptocurrency meme coin, there's now an offering in the name of first lady Melania Trump.

Just days ahead of his return to the White House, President Trump and his wife Melania launched a pair of meme coins that have skyrocketed in value and earned them billions of dollars, at least on paper.