Why Did Donald And Melania Trump Launch Meme Coins? The '$TRUMP' And '$MELANIA' Crypto Tokens Explained

Last month, the Hawk Tuah girl's meme coin rug pull scandal showed the internet the risks of investing money in meme coins with little information about the relatively new sector of the cryptocurrency world being known by many amateur investors.

Now, the recently elected United States President, Donald Trump, has decided to release his meme token, marketed as "the only official Trump meme."

It's hard to believe, but there's now a chance that someone (thousands, actually) might be rug pulled by the U.S. President. Something few likely predicted would happen in 2025.

President Trump's venture into meme coins, as well as his wife's plunge into them, aims to tap into cryptocurrency's growing popularity and likely connect with a younger audience (perhaps making some money too).

If you're not caught up on the meme coins trend or Trump's own entrance into the space in recent days, this article can guide you on all that's being talked about online, as well as the memes related to the $TRUMP token making the rounds lately.

What Are Meme Coins?

Meme coins are cryptocurrencies inspired by internet memes and popular online culture. Unlike traditional cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, meme coins focus more so on humor and community engagement than attempts at developing new technologies or functionalities, often experiencing significant value fluctuations driven by social media trends and memetic content rather than innovation.

They represent a unique fusion of speculative trading and cultural commentary. We did a video back in April 2021 on how Dogecoin, the oldest meme coin in the market, went from a meme to a valuable cryptocurrency.

Why Did Donald Trump Launch The $TRUMP Meme Coin?

Donald Trump wasn't always keen on the cryptocurrency market, as he openly criticized the sector, calling it a "scam" and "potentially a disaster waiting to happen."

However, things changed during his 2024 United States Presidential Election campaign when he promised to make the U.S. "the crypto capital of the planet," as NPR wrote in September.

Moving forward to January 2025, Trump launched $TRUMP, also known as the TRUMP MEME token, a few days before his presidential inauguration, which was perceived as a strategic blend of personal branding and financial opportunity.

Tapping into the surge of interest in cryptocurrencies, his venture was coordinated by CIC Digital LLC, "an affiliate of the Trump Organization — which has previously sold Trump-branded shoes and fragrances."

As of January 21st, 2025, the CoinMarketCap website showed that $TRUMP saw a growth of 1622040.62 percent since its inception on January 17th — no small feat for a meme coin despite their volatile nature.

Why Did Melania Trump Launch The $MELANIA Meme Coin?

Following the steps of Donald Trump, the First Lady of the United States also launched her meme coin earlier this week, dubbed $MELANIA, at nearly $7.

The coin reached a market capitalization of $4 billion shortly after release, attracting nearly 20,000 investors in the first hour and coincidentally causing her husband's meme coin to plummet in value.

How Did The Internet React To $TRUMP Meme Coin?

The $TRUMP meme coin's launch elicited mixed reactions online, especially discussions about the crypto market's future under the new Trump administration, with some enthusiasts celebrating its bold product and others voicing concerns regarding its safety and potential for fraud.

For instance, on January 18th, 2025, YouTuber Thinking Crypto posted a video explaining Trump's meme coin goals and achievements in the short span of its launch.

Memes about Trump's token also arose quickly, as X user @coffeebreak_YT posted the Withered Wojak meme accompanied by a caption claiming 80 percent of the $TRUMP meme coin is owned by one wallet (not a good sign in the meme coin space).

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For the full history of the Donald Trump Meme Coin, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's entry for even more information, as well as our entry on Melania's meme coin.