Navigating the New Litigation Landscape for Crypto Under the Trump Administration

The inauguration of President Donald J. Trump has been widely celebrated as the dawn of the first pro-crypto presidential administration – a dramatic shift from the Biden administration's antagonistic stance on crypto. But the road ahead might not be as smooth as it seems.

The inauguration of President Donald J. Trump has been widely celebrated as the dawn of the first pro-crypto presidential administration – a dramatic shift from the Biden administration’s antagonistic stance on crypto. But the road ahead might not be as smooth as it seems.

Sure, there’s reason for optimism. The excitement around Trump’s new approach reached its current peak when he unveiled his very own memecoin – $TRUMP – at the inaugural “Crypto Ball” in Washington, DC, on the night before his inauguration. And his early actions seem to back up the hype. He has replaced Gary Gensler, who became infamous in the crypto community for his enforcement-heavy approach as Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) chair, with Paul Atkins, a crypto-friendly former SEC commissioner who served as an advisor to the Digital Chamber of Commerce. Reports also suggest that the SEC is now drafting new, more supportive guidance and considering how to scale back or drop crypto cases that don’t involve fraud.

But while these moves might seem like a green light for the industry, it’s still far too early to declare victory. For one, private plaintiffs’ attorneys aren’t taking their foot off the gas; new lawsuits continue to pop up, raising aggressive arguments to challenge new crypto projects. State attorneys general – especially in places like California and New York – also are poised to ramp up enforcement. And even a more friendly federal government is unlikely to give crypto projects a pass if they are viewed as a threat to national security or financial stability.

So, while the change in tone from the new administration is promising, crypto companies should remain cautious and proactive. In this article, we explore recent litigation trends and offer practical strategies for navigating the shifting litigation landscape under the new administration.

Memecoins

Memecoins, in their simplest form, aren’t much like securities. They lack practical utility and are more like collectibles that capture the latest cultural zeitgeist – akin to Beanie Babies, for example. They may hold value and foster community but clearly aren’t securities under the Howey test. However, where the issuer of a memecoin goes heavy on marketing, works to get the tokens listed on secondary markets or holds onto a significant stash of tokens on the company balance sheet,1 plaintiffs’ lawyers may argue that purchasers are relying on the issuer to drive profits.

Just before Trump’s inauguration, the plaintiffs’ firm Burwick Law filed two class action lawsuits targeting major memecoin projects. This could signal a new wave of memecoin litigation yet to come.

Hawk Tuah Girl and $HAWK token

Web personality Haliey Welch, better known as the “Hawk Tuah Girl,” rose to prominence following a viral video in June 2024. On December 4, 2024, Welch and some affiliates launched the $HAWK memecoin. While the token quickly gained traction on Solana-based decentralized exchanges, within hours the market capitalization collapsed by more than 90%.

On December 19, 2024, purchasers of the memecoin filed a class action lawsuit in the US District Court for the Eastern District of New York against Tuah The Moon Foundation, overHere Limited and its founder Clinton So, which launched the memecoin, and social media influencer Alex Larson Schultz, who promoted it online. (See Albouni et al. v. Schultz et al., EDNY, No. 1:24-cv-08650.) The lawsuit alleges that the “Hawk Tuah” cryptocurrency sellers and promoters did not register the $HAWK memecoin with the SEC in violation of Sections 5 and 12(a)(1) of the Securities Act, resulting in plaintiffs’ loss of more than $151,000.

Pump.fun

Launched on January 19, 2024, Pump.fun is an application built on Solana that enables users to create memecoins and trade them. It is one of the most successful crypto/Web3 projects of the last year, with the platform surpassing $15 million in daily revenue on January 1, 2025.

On January 16, 2025, the same lawyers who represent the plaintiffs in the $HAWK token litigation filed a class action lawsuit against Pump.fun in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York. (See Carnahan v. Baton Corp. Ltd., SDNY, No. 1:25-cv-00490.) The lawsuit alleges that Pump.fun has been offering and selling unregistered securities, promotes pump-and-dump schemes and lacks proper user protections, specifically naming the sale of popular memecoin Peanut the Squirrel (PNUT) as unlawful. The sole named plaintiff, Kendall Carnahan, claims to have bought PNUT via three transactions on November 4, 2024, and that a day later, they sold it all at a loss of $231.