Melania Trump launches $MELANIA cryptocurrency meme coin, following husband Donald Trump's launch of $Trump cryptocurrency

The soon-to-be first lady Melania Trump launched her cyptocurrency meme coin, called $MELANIA on Sunday, January 19.

Melania Trump has announced the launch of her cryptocurrency meme coin, called $MELANIA, on Sunday, January 19.

According to a BBC report, the first lady's launch follows her husband and US President-elect Donald Trump’s launch of the $Trump cryptocurrency on Sunday. Both of the coins have risen since the launch and experienced volatile trade.

Melania Trump announced the launch of her cryptocurrency meme across social media.

The Official Melania Meme is live!

You can buy $MELANIA now. https://t.co/8FXvlMBhVf

FUAfBo2jgks6gB4Z4LfZkqSZgzNucisEHqnNebaRxM1P pic.twitter.com/t2vYiahRn6

— MELANIA TRUMP (@MELANIATRUMP) January 19, 2025

Her husband Donald Trump’s newly minted cryptocurrency also soared on Monday, January 20, to top $9bn in market value, drawing in billions in trading volume just hours ahead of the US President-elect's return to the White House.

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The meme coin, also known as $TRUMP, surged 73 per cent to $46.06 during Asian hours on Monday, giving it a market capitalisaton of about $9.2 billion, according to CoinMarketCap. Its 24-hour trading volume reached $42.2 billion.

Trump had on January 17, launched the digital token branded with an image from his attempted assassination in July, expanding his cryptocurrency interests that already include World Liberty Financial.

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Even cryptocurrency community participants were surprised by the launch of Trump’s meme coin.

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“While it’s tempting to dismiss this as just another Trump spectacle, the launch of the official Trump token opens up a Pandora’s box of ethical and regulatory questions,” said Justin D’Anethan, an independent crypto analyst based in Hong Kong.

While the coin blended the world of decentralised finance (DeFi) into the political arena, it also “blurs the lines between governance, profit, and influence,” D’Anethan said.

“Should public figures, especially those with such political clout, wield this kind of sway in speculative markets? That’s a question regulators are unlikely to ignore,” he said.

Peter Schiff, chief economist and global strategist at Euro Pacific Asset Management, pointed to the jump in $TRUMP’s value and called it the new digital gold, on messaging platform X.

Trump has promised to be a “crypto president”, and is expected to issue executive orders aimed at reducing crypto regulatory roadblocks and promoting widespread adoption of digital assets.

He is due to assume the presidency at noon ET (1700 GMT) on Monday, January 20.

(With inputs from Reuters)