Trump's Billion on Memecoins: How the US President Profited While the Market Lost Capital
Donald Trump's 2025 financial disclosure, released by the U.S. Office of Government Ethics, has become a true sensation. The 927-page document reveals staggering figures: over $1.1 billion in income from cryptocurrency projects during the first year of his second presidential term. The lion's share of this amount came from the $TRUMP memecoin and tokens of the World Liberty Financial platform.
Anatomy of a Billion: Where the Money Came From
The main source of income — $635 million — came from royalties under a licensing agreement with Celebration Coins for the use of the brand in the $TRUMP memecoin. In the disclosure, this transaction is listed as an asset of CIC Digital LLC, owned by Donald Trump's trust.
The second major block — $236 million in net profit — came from the direct sale of tokens through the World Liberty Financial project. Another $65.6 million was generated from the sale of a stake in WLF Holdco LLC. The third significant area was the stablecoin segment, which brought in $196.9 million from investments and sales of Class C shares of Stablecoin Holdco LLC. Notably, the USD1 stablecoin business itself showed an operating profit of only $8.3 million.
Additional income includes $6 million in net profit from the sale of NFTs and collectibles through Melania LLC, as well as $1.8 million from staking Ethereum on Coinbase as validator rewards.
A Double Game: Creator Profits vs. Investor Losses
The key point that sparked heated debate in the community: just two instruments — $TRUMP and WLFI — provided the bulk of the earnings. Their market value for ordinary holders dropped sharply immediately after launch. Meanwhile, the issuer consistently received royalties and sales revenue that were in no way dependent on exchange rates.
While the organizers recorded profits in the hundreds of millions, retail investors suffered serious losses. Independent observers have already called this the largest liquidity extraction from the crypto industry in history, orchestrated by the sitting U.S. president.
Conflict of Interest at the Highest Level
The disclosure also reveals information about the president's cold wallets, which hold Bitcoin, Ethereum, USDC, LINK, AAVE, ENA, and other coins. The value of some wallets exceeds $50 million. Particular attention is drawn to the World Liberty Financial platform, linked to the Trump family, which issues the WLFI governance token and the USD1 stablecoin.
Political polarization is clearly evident in the community. Trump supporters see the billion-dollar income as a sign of entrepreneurial talent. Opponents see systemic corruption, as the country's leader's income directly depends on an industry whose rules are being shaped by his own administration.
My analysis: The situation with $TRUMP and WLFI is a classic example of information asymmetry in the crypto market. Insiders profit from the liquidity provided by retail investors driven by political sympathies. Until strict disclosure regulations are introduced for projects affiliated with public figures, such schemes will repeat. This is a serious challenge for the reputation of the entire industry.