Donald Trump’s involvement in cryptocurrency ventures, as well as his holdings and those of the Trump-affiliated World Liberty Financial, have sparked concerns within the crypto community on multiple occasions. As the stance of the Trump administration shifts toward a pro-crypto position, various crypto firms closely linked to Trump and his associates are aiming to benefit from this connection.
This research explores the Trump family’s business interests, their connections to crypto projects, identifies five cryptocurrencies that could thrive under the administration, and delves into the surrounding controversies.
Trump’s cryptocurrency holdings and the TRUMP meme coin
When he took the oath of office on January 20, 2025, the 45th and 47th President of the United States set several records. He became the first leader to launch an official meme coin just three days before taking the reins of the Oval Office, alongside his NFT collection and a pro-crypto administration that has kept crypto traders attentive this market cycle.
On-chain analytics firm Arkham Intel discovered a wallet linked to President Trump, and the asset holdings appear to align with Trump’s financial disclosures from his November 2024 presidential campaign.
While it has been established that Trump possesses Ethereum (ETH) in his cryptocurrency wallet, details such as the purchase date or average price remain unspecified, as the presidential candidate at that time was not mandated to disclose such information.
As of now, the Arkham Intel wallet shows approximately $1.437 million worth of cryptocurrencies, which includes various meme coins, stablecoins, as well as tokens like Polygon (MATIC) and the WFI token from World Liberty Financial.
Trump’s crypto engagement isn’t a recent development; prior to launching the official meme coin TRUMP, the President unveiled an NFT collection called Official Trump Digital Trading Cards (TRUMP). He stated in an interview that he lacks deep knowledge about the coin but acknowledges it as his official meme currency, attracting criticism from cryptocurrency analysts.
Commenting on the tokenomics of the TRUMP token, a market analyst pointed out,
“Let’s be frank – the tokenomics here are quite poor for a meme-coin.” Analysis shows that 800 million TRUMP tokens, or 80% of the total supply, are controlled by entities connected to Trump.
These entities are permitted to liquidate their holdings throughout the next three years, beginning in April. On average, Trump’s entities could offload 24 million TRUMP tokens monthly, translating to $279.84 million in potential selling pressure each month at current prices, totaling $3.358 billion annually. This data is subject to change as TRUMP’s value fluctuates, currently trading at 11.66 USDT.
Ranked within the top 50 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization, the TRUMP token has gained significant attention.
Five cryptocurrencies held by World Liberty Financial that may rise next
The Trump family has invested in various crypto tokens, including those held by First Lady Melania Trump and Donald Trump Jr., Ivanka Trump, Eric, and Barron Trump. While Donald Trump Jr. and Ivanka’s specific holdings have not been traced through on-chain wallet data, both are reported to hold crypto through World Liberty Financial.
In a recent interview, the U.S. President mentioned that his youngest son, Barron Trump, is driving the World Liberty Financial project and maintains crypto tokens across four different wallets, although no definitive sources have verified these claims.
Additionally, Melania Trump owns the meme coin MELANIA (MELANIA), which was launched by her company MKT World LLC, a venture involved in various initiatives, including selling her portraits during Trump’s previous term, as reported in media coverage.
Information regarding the MELANIA token remains sparse; however, the official site mentions that Melania’s team has secured 35% of the token’s supply, which was locked for the initial 30 days post-launch.
Market analyst Grzegorz Drozdz provided a critical perspective on Trump and the First Lady’s crypto ventures, stating,
“The emergence of these coins coinciding with the presidential inauguration raises serious ethical concerns and could compromise the integrity of the presidency.”
Norman Eisen, a former ethics advisor from the Obama administration, expressed to media that,
“This may represent one of the most significant conflicts of interest in the history of the presidency.” Eisen contends that Trump’s connections to crypto imply that his administration stands to benefit from his supporting policies and regulatory adjustments.
The top five cryptocurrencies held by the Trump family-owned World Liberty Financial are Ethereum, staked Ether (stETH), Move (MOVE), Tron (TRX), and WhiteRock (WHITE), based on on-chain data analysis.
The World Liberty Financial wallet is reported to encompass over $77.8 million in cryptocurrency assets, with significant holdings including $15 million in Ethereum (7.931K ETH), $9.44 million in staked Ether (4.976K stETH), $9 million in Tron (40.178 million TRX), $3.47 million in Movement (7.581 million MOVE), and $295.84K in Ondo Finance (342K ONDO).
With the Trump administration’s supportive stance toward cryptocurrency, dynamic regulatory changes, executive orders, and initiatives like the White House Crypto Summit, these crypto projects are likely to see long-term benefits.
It’s also notable that Sui (SUI), Solana (SOL), and Ondo sponsored Trump’s inauguration. Eric Trump has reportedly invested in Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, and Sui, as indicated in recent reports.
Since the inauguration of Trump,
- Ethereum has dropped by 41%
- Staked Ether has dropped over 42%
- TRX has decreased by 7.22%
The cryptocurrencies owned by World Liberty Financial have mostly seen significant declines since the inauguration, aside from TRX.
Given these holdings, there is potential for recovery and gains later in the market cycle. Therefore, investors should conduct thorough research and contemplate taking positions in ETH, TRX, ONDO, MOVE, and WHITE, or consider incorporating these cryptocurrencies into their portfolios as they trade within favorable buying conditions.
The PayPal Mafia and Their Connections to Trump and Crypto
Trump’s connections to the cryptocurrency sector extend deeply, even among executives in his administration. Author Jimmy Soni’s book, which profiles the founders of PayPal, introduced the term “PayPal mafia” to describe this network.
Among this group, notable figures include David Sacks (Trump’s AI & Crypto Czar), Elon Musk (head of the Department of Government Efficiency), and Peter Thiel (Trump supporter and Vice President J.D. Vance), all of whom have been influential in the current market phase.
David Sacks has long been recognized in the crypto community as a strong supporter of Solana. Investigations into his connections with the crypto project reveal that PayPal intends to facilitate payments on Solana using its PYUSD stablecoin. Additionally, Solana has been included in Trump’s executive order for a Strategic Crypto Reserve and sponsored his inauguration event.
PayPal is also linked to Layer Zero and Aptos (APT) due to investments made in these initiatives.
Interestingly, Solana ranks among the cryptocurrencies listed in Eric Trump’s portfolio.
Meanwhile, Peter Thiel’s Founders Fund, a venture capital outfit, allocated $200 million toward acquiring Bitcoin and Ethereum during late summer to early autumn 2024. Although specific average purchase prices are unclear, the firm initiated its BTC purchases when the value was around $30,000.
Thiel has made headlines within Trump’s inner circle after stating during an appearance on the Joe Rogan podcast that he would support Trump in every way he could, save for a formal endorsement. His venture capital firm has since invested in several crypto projects, including Solana’s Helius DEX and the Pudgy Penguins NFT collection.
As for Musk, he has found himself in troubled waters with regulators due to his connections with Dogecoin, as well as his remarks on social media and interactions with the development team dating back to 2019. The DOGE department alludes to the symbol of the leading meme coin within the crypto landscape.
The Potential for Ethereum’s Recovery
Ethereum has faced declarations of being “dead” following its plunge below the $1,800 support line, representing its lowest value since November 2023. The $2,000 mark was viewed as a crucial psychological barrier for Ether, and closing beneath it has dashed hopes for a recovery in March 2025.
While Ethereum is currently experiencing a downturn, it may be premature to label it as “dead.” Given its position as the highest-valued asset in the wallet of World Liberty Financial, this major altcoin is possibly positioned for recovery, even if it lags behind Bitcoin in the cycle.
Supporting this assertion, it is critical to acknowledge Vitalik Buterin’s recent updates regarding developments within the Ethereum Foundation. The entity has addressed speculation surrounding its potential dissolution, with Buterin reiterating an optimistic outlook for the project.
During the Based Rollup Summit, Buterin reminded the community of Ethereum’s foundational goals and emphasized that the project remains committed to developing a decentralized network prioritizing transparency, censorship resistance, and security. These guiding principles continue to influence Ethereum’s evolution as it gears up for broader adoption.
Examining the Trump Family’s Interest in Binance
Recent news reports indicated that the Trump family is exploring opportunities to purchase a stake in Binance, the largest centralized cryptocurrency exchange globally. The coverage highlighted the role of founder and former CEO Changpeng Zhao, though Zhao has denied various claims made in the reports.
The article posited that Zhao was granted a pardon in relation to his 2023 guilty plea as discussions progressed regarding a stake in Binance’s U.S. operations, to which Zhao responded on social media by asserting that the majority of the allegations are unfounded, likening the situation to the previous administration’s purported “war on crypto.”
Disclosure: This content does not constitute investment advice. The information presented is for educational purposes only.