TRUMP: a blazing launch, an equally rapid fall

On January 19, 2025, the $TRUMP token reached its peak at $73.43. At the time, Donald Trump was preparing to become president again, and his enthusiasm for cryptos was undeniable.

Everything had started well for the $TRUMP token: a spectacular surge, open support from the former president, and promises of digital greatness. But barely three months later, the rocket crashes. April 18 marks a brutal turning point with the unlocking of 40 million tokens. Result: a 90% plunge since the January peak. A reminder that digital dreams can quickly turn into financial nightmares… especially when politics joins the party.

TRUMP: a blazing launch, an equally rapid fall

On January 19, 2025, the $TRUMP token reached its peak at $73.43. At the time, Donald Trump was preparing to become president again, and his enthusiasm for cryptos was evident. “I LOVE $TRUMP – SO COOL!!!“, he declared on Truth Social. The effect was immediate: euphoria took over the markets, wallets swelled, and traders were already talking about a future dominated by presidential tokens.

But on April 18, the mood soured. A batch of 40 million tokens — valued at $309 million — was released on the market, causing the price to plummet. In one day, the token’s value dropped to less than $8. To put this fall into perspective, the token is now trading at around $9, having lost nearly 90% since the beginning of the year. To make matters worse, this release represents only 20% of the total supply. More waves of unlocking are planned over the next few months, enough to shake the remaining optimistic holders.

Behind the scenes: a murky and very familial structure

This token is also a family affair. Two entities hold 80% of the supply: CIC Digital LLC and Fight Fight Fight LLC. These names might not ring a bell, but they are directly linked to the Trump universe. CIC Digital belongs to a trust that manages the president’s personal assets. Meanwhile, Fight Fight Fight LLC is co-managed by CIC Digital and a Wyoming-based company.

Even the name sounds like a campaign slogan shouted during an assassination attempt:

Fight! Fight! Fight!

This lack of transparency is striking, especially in the light of the token’s rapid fall. According to Rob Hadick of Dragonfly, “It’s very strange to have six different groups of holders without knowing who is who. Even in the somewhat opaque memecoin world, this one sets records for organizational fog.”

The implications are clear: the developers have already pocketed an estimated $350 million in profits, mostly through setting up liquidity pools to sell their tokens for USDC. And while investors are collectively losing billions on the token’s collapse, those in the know are quietly making their moves.

A presidential crypto strategy? Between boldness and conflict of interest

Since his return to the White House, Donald Trump has been presenting himself as a crypto champion. He’s creating a Strategic Reserve of bitcoin, signing decrees to regulate the sector, and actively promoting projects linked to his family. A presidential initiative to regulate… while profiting?

“Absolutely a relevant factor to consider,” says Ann Koppuzha, a business law professor at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska. It’s an understatement.

The administration claims that a specialized lawyer is overseeing potential conflicts of interest. But when your name is on the token and you’re signing laws that can boost its price, you really need some nerve to assert that everything is neutral.

The strategy behind TRUMP seems to be built for the long haul. The planned batch release program for the $TRUMP token will continue for three years. Tokens will be released in several waves, with varying quantities over time—ranging from hundreds of thousands per day to smaller batches. This could maintain constant pressure on the price, encouraging traders to react quickly. But if the bear market persists and investors decide to flee en masse before the next wave, the consequences could be disastrous.

In the unpredictable world of crypto, anything is possible. While memecoins have shown a surprising ability to be reborn from the ashes, $TRUMP will this time have to convince beyond the presidential image to persevere. The next big question is how far decentralized finance can be politicized without losing all credibility.