
Melania Trump has entered the cryptocurrency world just days before her husband’s inauguration as US president. Her new venture, a digital currency dubbed $Melania, was announced shortly after President-elect Donald Trump revealed his own crypto, the $Trump coin. Both cryptocurrencies have seen notable gains but have also experienced considerable market fluctuations.
In a post on the social platform X, Melania excitedly declared, “The Official Melania Meme is live! You can buy $Melania now.” This comes as a part of her growing digital portfolio, but both the $Trump and $Melania coins come with clear disclaimers. Both coins, according to their respective websites, are “not intended to be, or the subject of” an investment opportunity or security.
The $Trump coin currently boasts a market valuation of approximately $12bn (£9.8bn), while $Melania sits at around $1.7bn, according to CoinMarketCap. The move to create these digital assets follows Trump’s previous dismissals of cryptocurrency, even calling it a “scam.” However, during his 2024 campaign, he made history as the first presidential candidate to accept digital asset donations, further opening the door to the crypto industry.
The Trump family’s interest in digital assets doesn’t stop with the coins. They also launched a cryptocurrency company, World Liberty Financial, which promises to “dismantle the stranglehold of traditional financial institutions” and is also selling its own cryptocurrency. The $Trump coin, specifically, was launched under CIC Digital LLC, an affiliate of the Trump Organization. This company had previously dealt in crypto collectibles, NFTs, which initially sold for over $1,000 but have since dropped in value, now sitting at around $300, according to CoinGecko.
Trump’s support for digital currencies during his campaign raised speculation that he might ease regulations on the crypto market. He even hinted at a plan to build a strategic Bitcoin stockpile and appoint pro-crypto financial regulators. Following his victory, Bitcoin surged to a record high of $109,000, as reported by Coinbase.
Meanwhile, the growing interest in meme coins — cryptocurrencies linked to viral internet moments or trends — has also fuelled the rise of Melania’s coin. The $Melania coin, like the $Trump coin, has entered the top 100 cryptocurrencies in terms of market value. It’s already outpacing the digital asset Worldcoin, which was created by AI entrepreneur Sam Altman.
Meme coins, often easily created and launched by anyone, have exploded in popularity recently, with coins like Dogecoin seeing notable growth. Dogecoin, in particular, has found itself linked to high-profile Trump supporter Elon Musk, further spurring interest in this niche of the market.
Melania’s coin has been launched through MKT World LLC, a company she has used since 2021 for various business endeavours, including selling portraits of herself as First Lady. As the cryptocurrency space continues to evolve, both Trump and Melania’s digital ventures are making waves, entering an increasingly crowded market of meme coins that have captured the attention of investors and crypto enthusiasts alike.