The Trump Family Is Quietly Building a Crypto Empire
Just a few years ago, Donald Trump called crypto a 'scam' and 'dangerous.' Today, from the Oval Office, he champions it as the future of finance. This dramatic pivot is backed by a rapidly growing ecosystem of cryptocurrency ventures tied directly to the Trump family, creating an unprecedented network of potential conflicts of interest.
While the President promotes crypto-friendly policies, his family and associated businesses are launching tokens, mining operations, and financial platforms that stand to benefit directly from those policies. Here's a look inside the Trump crypto empire.
The Stablecoin: World Liberty Financial ($USD1) The crown jewel of the operation appears to be World Liberty Financial (WLFI), a crypto firm that launched in September 2024. While the President was listed as 'co-founder emeritus,' until he took office, his sons—Donald Jr., Eric, and Barron—are all active co-founders. The company's stablecoin, USD1, is a digital token pegged to the U.S. dollar, which has already amassed a market value of $2.2 billion, according to data firm CoinGecko.com.
What's a Stablecoin? It's a type of cryptocurrency designed to hold a steady value. For every USD1 token issued, there's supposed to be one U.S. dollar held in reserve, making it a stable digital asset for payments and trading.
The venture is already wildly profitable. President Trump earned $57.4 million last year from his ownership of tokens tied to the project, according to his June 2025 Office of Government Ethics (OGE) disclosure.
The timing is also impeccable: the Senate just passed the 'Genius Act,' a bill that opens the door for widespread adoption of stablecoins, which could send the value of platforms like WLFI into the stratosphere. Adding to its legitimacy, USD1 is already being used as a payment method for the UAE's sovereign wealth fund, MGX.
According to Democratic lawmakers and critics, USD1 may be a way to curry favor with the Trump family and the president in particular.
'If Congress passes this bill, USD1 won't just be a coercive tool to pay off a corrupt President,' Senator Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat of Massachusetts, said last month. 'It will be a financial instrument blessed by the United States Government. And this bill provides even more opportunities to reward buyers of Trump's coins with favors like tariff exemptions, pardons, and government appointments.'
The Memecoins: $TRUMP and $MELANIA In January, entities linked to the Trump Organization launched $TRUMP, a 'memecoin' on the popular Solana blockchain. Unlike stablecoins, memecoins have no intrinsic value and thrive on internet hype. The launch was a massive success, netting the Trump-linked companies over $350 million in transaction fees so far, according to research firm Chainalysis, with the token's market cap hitting $1.8 billion as of time of writing.
Not to be outdone, MKT World LLC, a company associated with First Lady Melania Trump, according to the June 2025 Office of Government Ethics (OGE) disclosure, launched $MELANIA just days later. While its purpose is vague—tied to 'appearance and speaking engagements and the sale of NFTs'—it has a market value of $128.3 million as of time of writing.
The Mining Operation: American Bitcoin Corp In March, Eric Trump teamed up with crypto mining firm Hut 8 to launch American Bitcoin Corp, which aims to be a major player in Bitcoin mining and accumulation.
What is Bitcoin Mining? It's the process by which new bitcoins are created. Powerful computers solve complex mathematical problems, and in return for their work, they are rewarded with Bitcoin. It's an energy-intensive but potentially lucrative business.
American Bitcoin Corp, where Eric Trump serves as chief strategy officer, went public in May and already holds about $22 million worth of Bitcoin, with plans to acquire more.
The Next Frontier: ETFs and NFTs The empire's reach continues to expand. The first venture began quietly, with a Trump-linked entity licensing his likeness for NFTs (non-fungible tokens, or unique digital collectibles), which earned the President over $1.1 million in 2024 alone, according to the June 2025 Office of Government Ethics (OGE) disclosure,
More recently, Trump Media & Technology filed to launch a combined Bitcoin and Ether ETF, a type of investment fund that would allow mainstream investors to easily buy into crypto.
A Web of Conflicts This sprawling crypto ecosystem, from stablecoins and memecoins to mining and investment funds, is deeply intertwined with Trump's presidency. His political shift from crypto skeptic to crypto evangelist aligns perfectly with his family's growing financial interests. With his campaign now accepting crypto donations, this network could double as a fundraising machine and a post-presidency payoff.
Whether it's driven by ideology, opportunism, or both, the Trump crypto empire is raising serious ethical questions. As the President pushes policies that could enrich his family's ventures, the line between governing and personal profit has never been more blurred.
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