Thank you for being a free subscriber. It’s Giving Tuesday, and we want to GIVE YOU a special gift today when you upgrade and become an annual paid subscriber. Get 30% off your annual subscription today and we’ll gift you $20 in Lincoln Bucks to use in our pro-democracy merch store. Your subscription upgrade is a direct investment in defending democracy, helping Lincoln Square build a pro-democracy media machine to fight disinformation and inform voters with the facts. The Melania Meme Coin Collapse — and What It MeansTrump-aligned digital tokens and the stock of Trump Media have experienced some of the steepest declines in consumer-facing assets this year, according to financial filings and multiple news reports.By Brian DaitzmanA cryptocurrency named for First Lady Melania Trump has lost 99 percent of its value since Inauguration Day, while other Trump-linked assets have fallen as much as 80 percent, according to reporting from The Wall Street Journal and corroborating financial outlets. A digital token branded around First Lady Melania Trump has collapsed 99 percent from its peak, according to a recent report in The Wall Street Journal, which reviewed price data across several Trump-themed cryptocurrencies. The Journal found the token among the worst performers in a broader group of assets tied to the Trump family name. The losses come as more than half of U.S. households now participate in stock or bond markets, an exposure documented by the Securities and Exchange Commission using Federal Reserve survey data. Analysts say that this widespread participation increases the relevance of highly publicized assets, even when only a subset of investors hold them. Trump-themed meme coins associated with President Trump have dropped sharply as well. The Wall Street Journal reported that one Trump-branded coin had fallen about 86 percent from inauguration levels, and other crypto-market trackers cited by Newsweek, CryptoNews and CoinDesk have documented similar declines among politically themed tokens. Public-equity investments tied to President Trump have also faced significant losses. Trump Media & Technology Group, which owns the Truth Social platform and trades under the ticker DJT, is down roughly 75 percent from its inauguration-day price, according to the Journal, Investopedia and independent price-series data compiled by FinanceCharts. A separate Trump-family-backed project, the World Liberty Financial token known as WLFI, has fallen about 40 percent since its launch in September, according to reporting from the Journal and Reuters. Reuters also reported that a partner company’s stock dropped after it concentrated its balance sheet in WLFI, drawing scrutiny from market analysts. Company statements summarized by Reuters describe World Liberty Financial as a decentralized finance platform offering both a governance token and a stablecoin linked to the U.S. dollar. The project emphasizes U.S. market focus, and materials reviewed by Reuters show backing from members of the Trump family. Critics quoted by Reuters and other outlets have raised conflict-of-interest concerns, noting that President Trump oversees agencies that influence federal crypto regulation while his family is associated with digital-asset ventures. The White House has said the president’s assets are held in a family trust and that ethics requirements are being followed. The downturn in Trump-linked digital assets is unfolding against a broad slump in speculative crypto markets. Business Insider reported that a 2025 cryptocurrency crash erased roughly $1 trillion in global market value and significantly reduced the paper wealth of high-profile holders of politically branded tokens. Research cited by CryptoNews found that more than 60 percent of Trump-themed meme coins have effectively failed, losing most of their value and trading activity. CoinDesk has reported that at least one high-profile Trump coin is down more than 80 percent from its launch price. Federal Reserve survey data show that U.S. families’ net worth rose between 2019 and 2022, buoyed by increases in housing and diversified equity holdings, even as narrow speculative assets have remained vulnerable to market swings. Market analysts told The Wall Street Journal and Barron’s that some retail investors were drawn to Trump-aligned assets for political or symbolic reasons rather than fundamentals. Regulators have cautioned that concentrated positions in speculative assets can expose retail investors to substantial losses. Investor bulletins from the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority warn that meme-driven instruments, political-themed tokens and other volatile assets may not be suitable for households without diversified portfolios. References
Brian Daitzman is the Editor of The Intellectualist. Read the original article here. You’re currently a free subscriber to Lincoln Square Media. For full access to our content, our Lincoln Loyal community, and to help us amplify the facts about the assault on our rights and freedoms, please consider upgrading your subscription today with this limited-time offer. Lock in this special rate today. Offer Ends Nov. 30th Not ready to subscribe? Make a one-time donation of $10 or more to support our work amplifying the facts on social media, targeted to voters in red states and districts that we can help flip. Every $10 reaches 1000 Americans. The Truth needs a voice. Your donation will help us amplify it. Want to help amplify this post? Please leave a comment and tell us what you think. |