US President Donald Trump launched the OFFICIAL TRUMP meme coin on 17 January, and it gained nearly $13billion market cap in just 24 hours. The meme coin is now listed on major exchanges like Binance, OKX, and Kraken. However, 80% of the tokens are owned directly by Trump’s team.
On 17 January 2025, just three days before his inauguration, Donald Trump made one of the most shocking moves in the crypto industry. The president-elect launched his own official meme coin. The launch almost emerged from thin air – there was no marketing campaign, no prior anticipation, or any potential indication.
In less than 24 hours, TRUMP became the third-largest meme coin in the market and entered the top 20 cryptocurrencies by market cap. It also became the fastest-growing digital asset, reaching a $13billion capitalization overnight.
For context, the TRUMP meme coin overtook established projects like Litecoin, Polkadot, Polygon, Hyperliquid, Aave, Uniswap, and NEAR Protocol in one night. The meme coin launched at around $4 on Friday night and reached a peak of $73 by Sunday.
While controversial, the TRUMP meme coin is very much real and directly operated by the president-elect’s business venture. Here’s everything you need to know about this surprising yet critical digital asset.

The OFFICIAL TRUMP meme coin tokenomics?
It seems that Trump’s team has followed the trend of the most successful meme coin launches in 2024 and launched TRUMP on the Solana blockchain.
The total supply of TRUMP is capped at 1 billion tokens. At launch, 200 million tokens were made available to the public, while the remaining 800 million tokens are held by entities affiliated with the Trump Organization, specifically CIC Digital LLC and Fight Fight Fight LLC. These holdings are subject to a three-year lock-up period, during which they cannot be sold or transferred.
The concentration of 80% of the $TRUMP token supply within Trump-affiliated entities has raised ethical concerns. Critics argue that such centralized ownership could allow for potential conflicts of interest, especially with President-elect Trump assuming office. The possibility of foreign entities purchasing large quantities of the coin to gain favor with the administration has also been highlighted as a risk.
How to buy the TRUMP meme coin?
Because of the massive hype around the meme coin, TRUMP has already been listed on several tier-1 centralized exchanges. This includes Binance, Kraken, OKX, Bybit, and more.
If you already have an account on these exchanges, you can simply log in and use USDT to purchase TRUMP. If you’re new to crypto, you must create an account on Binance or Kraken (or any other centralized exchange) and go through the KYC-verification. This verification will ask for an official ID, proof of address, and a live selfie to verify your identity. Once verification is complete, you can simply fund your account with a debit/credit card and purchase TRUMP.
If you’re in the US, you can also purchase the token directly through Moonshot, which is the official partner for the meme coin.
Another option to purchase the TRUMP meme coin is through a decentralized exchange. The best choice for this approach is Raydium. Using Raydium is optimal because the exchange itself is also on the Solana blockchain, so the transaction will be smooth and faster.
To buy TRUMP through Raydium, follow the steps below:
- Use a Web3 wallet like Trust Wallet or MetaMask. Download the app on your phone.
- 2. On the bottom right-hand corner, choose the ‘Discover option’.
- Search for Raydium. From there you can just swap your USDT or SOL for TRUMP.
Alternatively, you can go to the Raydium.io website and connect your wallet through a browser.

Caution
There are a lot of fake meme coins out there trying to exploit the hype. The OFFICIAL TRUMP meme coins address is: 6p6xgHyF7AeE6TZkSmFsko444wqoP15icUSqi2jfGiPN
Whenever purchasing this token, make sure to verify the token address matches this official address.
Potential concerns about the tokenomics
- 200 million tokens for public and liquidity: Out of the total 1 billion tokens, only 20% is immediately available—10% for public sale and 10% for liquidity pools. These tokens are accessible to investors and traders at launch.
- Unlocking after 3-12 months: The remaining 80% (800 million tokens) is held by the project creators, the Trump Organization, and its associated groups (CIC Digital LLC, Fight Fight Fight LLC, etc.). These tokens are “locked up” for a set duration, meaning they cannot be sold, transferred, or used for any purpose during this period. The lock-up periods vary between 3 to 12 months.
- Vesting over 24 months: Once the lock-up period ends, the tokens are not released all at once. Instead, they are distributed incrementally (“vested”) over the next two years. This gradual release reduces the immediate risk of these entities flooding the market with their tokens, which could crash the price.
Why is it suspicious?
- Centralized ownership: The project is highly centralized, with 80% of tokens in the hands of a small group of entities. These entities hold the majority of the supply, giving them significant control over market dynamics, including pricing and liquidity.
- Delayed unlocking and gradual vesting: The lock-up period followed by vesting gives these entities future control over large token quantities. While the lock-up and vesting structure is designed to prevent immediate market destabilization, it creates a long-term risk. When the tokens are gradually unlocked, these entities could sell them for profit, potentially suppressing the token price.
- Market manipulation risks: If these entities collude or strategically time their token sales, they could manipulate market conditions, benefiting themselves at the expense of retail investors.
- Transparency issues: The fact that 80% of the tokens are controlled by the creators and associated groups raises questions about transparency and fairness. Retail investors might be unaware of when these entities decide to sell, leading to market shocks.
- Conflict of interest: Since these groups are directly affiliated with the Trump Organization, there is concern that the cryptocurrency could be used for financial or political leverage. Additionally, these entities could influence token supply and pricing, creating an unfair playing field for regular investors.
Why does this matter?
Investors and analysts often scrutinize tokenomics structures for red flags. In the case of $TRUMP, the concentration of ownership, lock-up periods, and vesting schedules may appear suspicious because they prioritize the creators’ interests over the community’s. A more transparent and decentralized approach would likely garner greater trust and confidence from the public.
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Is it legal for Trump to launch his meme coin?
Regarding the legality of president-elect Donald Trump’s launch of his meme coin, there is no explicit prohibition against a private citizen or public figure creating a cryptocurrency. However, ethical and legal concerns arise due to potential conflicts of interest, especially with Trump assuming the presidency shortly after the coin’s launch. Critics argue that such actions could undermine efforts to legitimize cryptocurrencies and pose risks to investor confidence.
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