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Just three days before his inauguration, Trump launched a meme coin. It’s only the beginning.
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Because apparently running the country isn’t enough hype, Trump just launched his $TRUMP token and made lots of money.

  • Trump’s $TRUMP became the fastest-growing meme coin to hit a $15B market cap.

  • Meme coins are high-risk playgrounds. Just ask people who invested in $HAWK.

  • Trump’s incoming team, including are bullish on crypto. This could spark massive mainstream adoption.

Yes, you read that right. On January 17th, Donald Trump, the US President-elect set to take office in just three days, has launched his own meme cryptocurrency, $TRUMP. What started as "is this a hack?" rumors, quickly became the fastest-growing meme coin to hit $15B, climbing more than 10,000% — It reached a $3B valuation within the first hour.

The launch was pushed by CIC Digital LLC, an affiliate of the Trump Organization that’s sold Trump-branded shoes, fragrances, and NFTs in the past. Along with Fight Fight Fight LLC, the two entities collectively own 80% of the tokens. The current $TRUMP token supply is 200M, with another 800M set to be released over the next three years.

It’s 2025, and we have a meme coin from the soon-to-be most powerful office in the world. Welcome to the new normal?

Risky meme coins

Meme coins have always been a high-risk playground. Dogecoin kicked off the trend for fun, then we had Shiba Inu, and now we’re in the era of $HAWK, $PEPE, and infinite knockoffs. People make (and lose) life-changing amounts of money in a matter of minutes.

Case in point: $HAWK. It was launched last month by social media influencer Hailey Welch (the “Hawk Tuah Girl”). After a huge pre-launch hype, its market cap hit $490M within a few hours and then tanked to $60M in just 20 minutes. Critics labeled it a classic “pump and dump.” That left some unlucky investors losing as much as $130K in practically no time.

The new normal

This new $TRUMP token isn’t just a random, standalone stunt. Trump is bringing a crypto-friendly entourage to Washington. People like VP-elect JD Vance, Elon Musk, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, David Sacks, and Vivek Ramaswamy all hold significant investments in crypto but have also been super vocal about pushing Bitcoin into mainstream finance.

Conclusion

In a world where a new social platform can vanish in a week (think TikTok ban) and a fresh coin can explode in the blink of an eye, it’s never been more important to stay nimble.

If Trump's gamble pays off, we might see a surge in mainstream crypto adoption like never before. If it flops, we’ll add another cautionary tale to the meme coin archives. Either way, indie hackers, keep your eyes open for fresh opportunities and prepare for the unexpected twists in the upcoming months.

Buckle up. It’s going to be a wild ride.


Have a story, tip, or trend worth covering? Tell us at [email protected].

Photo of Michal Kankowski Michal Kankowski

Michal is a journalist for Indie Hackers. He's also the founder of Kickstart Side Hustle, a platform for startup founders and marketers with the biggest library of the most creative (often viral) marketing case studies in history, and hundreds of marketing psychology principles.

  1. 2

    80% of it is holded by one account

  2. 1

    what are we doing... buying it?!

  3. 1

    Political branding at its peak , use of crypto in this way is not at all plausible.

  4. 1

    Donald Trump’s launch of a meme coin just days before his inauguration is a bold move that blends politics with the cryptocurrency craze. It highlights how public figures are capitalizing on digital trends to create buzz and potentially shape financial ecosystems. While this could signal a new era of political branding, it raises questions about regulation, legitimacy, and the broader impact of mixing meme culture with serious economic ventures. It’s undoubtedly just the start.

  5. 1

    Great insights! Blaze's journey is a testament to the power of serving an underserved market, building a standout brand, and staying true to your "why." Adam's focus on small businesses and solopreneurs highlights the importance of understanding and addressing real customer pain points.

  6. 1

    This is definitely one of the more surreal moments in crypto history! Trump launching his own meme coin just days before taking office is a wild move, but I guess with his track record, this shouldn't be too shocking. The fact that $TRUMP surged to a $15B market cap so quickly shows how volatile and unpredictable the meme coin world can be. The risk is sky-high, but if it hits big, this could be a game-changer for mainstream crypto adoption. It'll be interesting to see how this unfolds, especially with so many crypto advocates in his corner.

    At the same time, we’ve seen how quickly the tide can turn—look at $HAWK. As exciting as these meme coins can be, they can also burn through money in the blink of an eye. I’m definitely keeping an eye on this one to see whether it becomes a success or just another cautionary tale!

  7. 1

    Launching a meme coin right before such a significant political event shows how cryptocurrencies are being used for more than just financial purposes they’re becoming tools for influence and branding. This move might inspire others to explore creative uses of crypto, but it also highlights the need for scrutiny in this rapidly evolving space. For hosting cryptocurrency-related platforms, HostingSpell offers reliable and secure solutions to support your initiatives.

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