Melania Trump has launched a new meme coin called The Official Melania Meme, which she said is ‘live’ for people to purchase. The move was met with much criticism online
Melania Trump has been labelled a “shameless grifter” by critics after she promoted her own meme coin ahead of her husband’s inauguration.
The soon-to-be first lady announced her new coin after Donald Trumpt shortly announced his cryptocurrency journey. Melania took to Twitter ( X) to share the news on Sunday and said: “The Official Melania Meme is live! You can buy $MELANIA now.” On the website, her coin, “Melania Memes” is described to be a “fungible crypto assets created and tracked on the Solana blockchain,” according to The Hill.
Her latest venture comes just after President-elect Trump revealed his own coin. “My NEW Official Trump Meme is HERE! It’s time to celebrate everything we stand for: WINNING! Join my very special Trump Community. GET YOUR $TRUMP NOW,” he said on Truth Social Friday. Meme coins, the unpredictable and quirky segment of the cryptocurrency world, often start as a joke with nil value but can see a price explosion if enough people jump on board. Dogecoin, famed for its dog mascot spouting phrases like “much wow,” is the poster child of such currencies.
The sale of the Donald Trump meme coin has been orchestrated by CIC Digital, a wing of the Trump Organization. According to the coin’s website, there are 200 million Trump meme coins out at present, with an ambition to launch a billion in the following three years. CIC Digital, along with another outfit, holds a hefty 80% share in the Trump meme coins and is set to rake in “trading revenue derived from trading activities,” the token’s website discloses.
Many critics are slamming the Trumps for hopping on the crypto train, expressing their disapproval of it on X. “This is what you do hours before the inauguration.? You’re a shameless grifter just like your husband,” one X user wrote. A second mocked, “Your husband’s coin lost 1/3 of its m cap immediately after your initial post lol.”
In the past, Trump dubbed crypto a “scam.” However, he changed his tune when he was campaigning for the 2024 presidential election cycle. Trump switched up, and began backing crypto, becoming the first presidential candidate to accept digital currency. According to The Hill, donors could contribute to his campaign through “its joint fundraising committees with any cryptocurrency accepted through the Coinbase Commerce product.” Friday was the night of the Crypto Ball, which Trump’s affiliate David Sacks hosted in Washington D.C. In the last election, the crypto industry shelled out much money, and now are developing a wish list for Trump’s forthcoming term.
On Monday, Trump and his supporters will be gathering at the Capital One Arena in D.C. for his inauguration ceremony. This meeting place is serving as an overflow venue as the inauguration festivities have transitioned to a much smaller space inside the U.S. Capitol Rotunda due to weather conditions, ABC News reported. “I have ordered the Inauguration Address, in addition to prayers and other speeches, to be delivered in the United States Capitol Rotunda, as was used by Ronald Reagan in 1985, also because of very cold weather,” Trump posted on his social media site Truth Social on Friday.
