Trump's embrace of meme coin sours mood in crypto industry
Reporting cited here
- documented
The Associated Press reported that Donald Trump and his wife, Melania Trump, launched separate meme coins before his inauguration; Melania announced $MELANIA on January 19, 2025, and the token experienced an initial price spike followed by a large fall.
Melania Trump launches the $MELANIA memecoin before inauguration · $MELANIA launched and entered public trading
- documented
The pre-announcement pattern is worth disclosing. Without further attribution it does not show that Melania Trump or her team controlled the wallets.
MELANIA launch, disclaimer and volatility paragraphsThe MELANIA Pre-Announcement Wallet Pattern — Audit finding · Cited analysis
- reported
Contemporaneous reporting emphasized volatility and the site's no-investment disclaimer; it did not identify the pre-announcement wallets as Melania Trump's.
MELANIA launch, disclaimer and volatility paragraphsThe MELANIA Pre-Announcement Wallet Pattern — Evidentiary limit · Evidentiary limit
- estimate
Fortune reported Financial Times blockchain analysis finding that 24 wallets bought $2.6 million of $MELANIA in the two and a half minutes before Melania Trump's January 19 announcement, cashed out $99.6 million as the price rose, and sold 81% of those holdings within twelve hours. Fortune reported a $13.73 January 20 peak and an approximately $0.32 May 7 price, a 98% decline.
Independent launch chronology and initial spike-and-fall descriptionPre-announcement $MELANIA wallets cashed out $99.6 million · 24 wallets tracked; $99.6 million cashed out; price 98% below peak by May 7