When Donald Trump launched his own $TRUMP cryptocurrency, $TRUMP, in January 2025, it felt like the logical next step in his increasingly digital—and monetized—brand of politics. But in the few months since its release, the coin has become far more than a meme: it's a symbol of how crypto, politics, and influence are merging in deeply concerning ways.

The premise behind Trump Coin is as audacious as it is simple: a meme coin tied to Trump's persona, created without inherent utility, but structured to reward loyalty and speculation. Launched on January 17, debuted with a supply of 1 billion coins. Of those, 80% were reserved by Trump-affiliated entities—CIC Digital LLC and Fight Fight Fight LLC—leaving 200 million for public sale. That sale generated around $100 million in trading fees within just two weeks, despite the token’s lack of traditional economic purpose.

What followed was part crypto spectacle, part political theater. On May 14, The New Yorker published a damning piece titled “How Donald Trump’s Crypto Dealings Push the Bounds of Corruption,” which cast a critical spotlight on both and Trump's broader crypto venture, World Liberty Financial. The article makes a compelling case: Trump isn't just riding the crypto wave—he’s weaponizing it for personal gain and political leverage.

One key example? The upcoming May 22 dinner at Trump National Golf Club. Only the top 220holders are invited. The top 25 get a VIP reception. It’s a pay-to-play model dressed up in blockchain clothing. And it worked—at least for a while. After the dinner promotion was announced, $TRUMP’s value surged by more than 50%, peaking at $14.32 before falling back. The coin’s price, which once hit a jaw-dropping $75.35 just two days after launch, now hovers far below that, leaving many retail investors deep in the red.

Of course, volatility is part of the meme coin ecosystem. But this is different. This is a former (and possibly future) U.S. president using pseudonymous digital assets to consolidate power and invite investment—possibly even foreign investment—into his inner circle.

That last point is especially troubling. Just one day before The New Yorker article dropped, a little-known Chinese firm called GD Culture Group disclosed it had purchased up to $300 million in $TRUMP and Bitcoin. The company has ties to TikTok, raising obvious conflict-of-interest concerns given Trump’s public threats to ban the platform. According to ethics experts and lawmakers, including Senators Adam Schiff and Elizabeth Warren, the $TRUMP dinner is a thinly veiled influence auction, one that’s nearly impossible to regulate due to the anonymity of crypto.

But $TRUMP isn’t Trump’s only venture into digital assets. Through World Liberty Financial, his family has launched a stablecoin, USD1, and secured a $2 billion investment from Abu Dhabi’s MGX—a firm with links to Binance, itself no stranger to legal scrutiny in the U.S. The Trump crypto ecosystem is growing, and fast, all while Trump calls for deregulation and installs crypto-friendly officials at key agencies.

The winners in all this? A small group of well-positioned wallets—just 58 of them—have reportedly made over $10 million each. The losers? Over 760,000 smaller investors who’ve lost money so far. That’s the dark irony of Trump Coin: it promises access, riches, and relevance, but for most, it’s just another lottery ticket—one with terrible odds and even worse implications for democracy.

The political crypto gold rush is here, and Trump isn’t just riding the wave. He’s steering it straight into the heart of our electoral and financial systems. If nothing else, proves that in 2025, influence doesn’t come from votes or ideas. It comes from your wallet—and whether you're willing to bet it all on a coin with the former president’s face on it.

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