Author: Pzai, Foresight News
Since the dust settled on last year's election, Trump's influence in the crypto realm has had a tangible impact, not only in his vocal support for crypto policies, but also in his family's recent activities in the cryptocurrency space, from DeFi projects to personal tokens, all of which have sparked widespread market attention and controversy. With the recent surge of the "Trump Coin," the crypto space is also experiencing volatility due to such sentiments. This article provides a brief analysis of the "Trump" ecosystem.
MEME
In the MEME ecosystem, both Trump and his wife have issued MEME coins, with the TRUMP coin reaching an $80 billion market cap in just two days, causing the Trump family's assets to surge to $30 billion, of which 78% are in cryptocurrencies, demonstrating the "first crypto president of America" status. Additionally, this morning, Melania Trump's MELANIA token reached $12 billion. Under the Biden administration, the uncertainty of crypto policies and increased regulation have subtly dampened market expectations for cryptocurrencies, while Trump's direct involvement has undoubtedly provided a sense of reassurance for the future.
DeFi
The DeFi project supported by the Trump family, World Liberty Financial (WLFI), launched in September 2023, aiming to promote the development of decentralized finance, particularly the application of stablecoins. Trump himself serves as the "Chief Crypto Advocate," while his children act as Web3 ambassadors to help promote the platform.
WLFI is an Ethereum-based DeFi platform that allows users to borrow, lend, and invest in cryptocurrencies. Its WLFI token is primarily used for governance but is not tradable, with limited liquidity. The platform's core goal is to establish a decentralized financial ecosystem that enables transparent and efficient financial transactions through smart contracts, while reducing reliance on traditional financial institutions. In recent days, the MEME effect brought by Trump has also driven the sale of WLFI tokens, leading to a quick sell-out, and WLFI even announced a 5% increase in supply for the public sale on January 20th.
Recently, WLFI has actively purchased large amounts of mainstream crypto assets such as ETH, LINK, and AAVE, with a total holdings value exceeding $266 million. In its collaborations with on-chain ecosystem projects, WLFI also plays an important role, such as partnering with Aave in DeFi and Chainlink in oracle technology. WLFI frequently uses applications like CoW Swap in its transactions, and these collaborations have brought the "Trump effect" to the partners, driving the growth of the application layer and token prices.
However, despite the protocol's operational terms stating that the Trump family has no direct legal association with WLFI, critics argue that the project is a "white-label product" of the Trump family, allowing them to potentially profit through indirect shareholding or partnership agreements. The non-transferability of the WLFI token crowdsale has also been criticized as potentially exposing ordinary investors to higher market risks. WLFI tokens are non-transferable and only available to accredited US investors or non-residents, which to some extent limits its liquidity and market appeal.
Non-Fungible Token (NFT)
Compared to MEME, Trump's interest in NFTs seems more pronounced. Previously, Trump launched his first NFT, the "Trump Digital Trading Card," in December 2022, followed by the "America First" series of NFTs in August 2024 and the "Trump Bitcoin Digital Trading Card" NFT series based on the Bitcoin Ordinals protocol in January 2025. These cards feature Trump's image in various roles, such as a superhero and a cowboy, and some series offer additional rewards for buyers, such as the opportunity to dine with Trump or receive physical memorabilia (like suit fragments). In the market, the frenzy has also ignited the trading enthusiasm for these NFTs, with the floor price of the Polygon-based NFT series reaching a high of 3,149 POL (around $1,417) this week. In the crypto market, Trump seems to be maximizing the inherent value of MEME and monetizing through diverse token forms, and his powerful influence has also injected a strong boost into the related assets.
Overall, Trump has already ventured into the cryptocurrency realm, and through his MEME coins, the DeFi project WLFI, and NFT plans, he has undoubtedly left a significant impact on the market. Leveraging his political and capital representative identity, he has attracted a large amount of attention and influenced market dynamics. However, this involvement is not without controversy, raising questions about transparency, compliance, and potential risks to investors. The collision and integration of politics, celebrities, and technology highlights the complex landscape of modern finance, and we are also eager to see what further waves the "Crypto President" can bring to the cryptocurrency industry.
