Investors in the official TRUMP and MELANIA memecoins have suffered heavy losses since the tokens were launched, with holders now down more than $4 billion as prices trade over 90% below their early 2025 peaks.
A CryptoRank report on Friday detailed how retail investors have lost billions on these Trump family tokens, while insiders appear to have made millions. Over a year ago, former President Trump surprised the crypto industry by launching his official token ahead of his second term. The memecoin quickly soared to an all-time high of $75, delivering huge profits for many early buyers.
Just two days later, former First Lady Melania Trump announced her own memecoin, which surged to a peak of $13.05 in under 24 hours. However, both tokens faced strong criticism from the crypto community. Some users on X called the projects a “big red flag,” especially after reports revealed that one of the people behind the MELANIA token was Hayden Davis, who was involved in the failed LIBRA Token.
A year after their launch, the TRUMP and MELANIA memecoins have plummeted, falling 92% and 99% respectively from their January 2025 highs. As of now, the president’s token is trading around $3.55, while the first lady’s token is near $0.11.
According to CryptoRank, the damage to everyday investors has been severe, with losses outweighing insider gains by a ratio of 20-to-1. “For every dollar insiders earned, ordinary investors lost $20,” the report stated. Retail losses have now surpassed $4.3 billion, affecting nearly two million wallets that are currently underwater. Data from Chainalysis cited by CNBC shows that most of the losing wallets held only small amounts of the tokens.
While retail holders absorb these losses, CryptoRank pointed out that insiders have cashed out more than $600 million through fees and token sales. CNBC data indicates that 45 wallets withdrew a combined $1.2 billion, with 58 individual wallets each making over $10 million. The sell-off may not be over, as $2.7 billion worth of insider tokens are locked until 2028, suggesting more selling pressure could lie ahead for these memecoins.
As previously reported by NewsBTC, a Reuters analysis suggested that cryptocurrency exchanges were among the biggest winners from the Trump family memecoins. The TRUMP token alone reportedly generated millions in revenue for some of the largest trading platforms. Based on standard fee estimates, the exchanges reviewed allegedly earned more than $172 million in trading fees within just six months of the token’s listing.
Meanwhile, the Trump family has also seen substantial gains from their main crypto ventures, including World Liberty Financial (WLFI) and the TRUMP and MELANIA memecoins. Recent Bloomberg data indicates that the official presidential memecoins have generated roughly $280 million in profits from the family’s holdings and related proceeds.
Frequently Asked Questions
Of course Here is a list of FAQs about the reported 43 billion loss in Trumpthemed memecoins designed to be clear and helpful for both beginners and more experienced observers
Beginner Definition Questions
1 What are Trumpthemed memecoins
They are cryptocurrencies created as a joke or for speculation themed around Donald Trump his slogans or his image They have no official connection to him or his campaign
2 What does lost 43 billion mean Did people actually lose that much cash
It refers to a drop in market capitalizationthe total theoretical value of all coins in circulation If the price crashes that total value shrinks Most investors didnt put in 43 billion directly the figure represents vanished paper wealth from peak prices
3 Why would anyone invest in a memecoin
Primarily for highrisk highreward speculation Buyers hope a viral trend or celebrity endorsement will cause the price to pump allowing them to sell at a massive profit before it crashes
4 Is this related to official Trump NFTs or fundraising
No These are separate unofficial crypto tokens created by anonymous developers on open networks Official Trump digital cards are a different product though hype around one can sometimes affect the other
Mechanics Causes
5 Why did the value plunge so dramatically
Memecoins are extremely volatile This plunge was likely triggered by a combination of
Profittaking Early investors selling en masse
Fading hype The initial viral momentum wearing off
Broader crypto market dips Negative sentiment in major cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin often washes out riskier assets first
Rug pull fears Concerns that developers might abandon the project and run off with funds
6 What is a rug pull in this context
Its a scam where developers suddenly abandon a project drain the projects liquidity pool and disappear leaving the coin worthless This is a major risk with anonymous memecoins
7 Did Donald Trump cause this loss or benefit from it
There is no evidence he directly caused it or profited from these specific