US President Donald Trump and his family have once again made headlines over the past year with their earnings exceeding $1 billion from cryptocurrency investments. The Trump family's portfolio spans a wide spectrum, from meme coins to stablecoins and DeFi projects. These revenues stem from the growth of their assets in the crypto market, as well as token sales and brand licensing agreements for the family's projects.
The Trump family's crypto returns shocked the market
World Liberty Financial (WLFI), one of the Trump family's most significant ventures in the crypto world, launched last year and quickly achieved billions of dollars in trading volume. Family members own approximately a quarter of the project's total supply. In addition to the WLFI tokens, meme coins issued in the names of Trump and Melania have also generated millions of dollars in revenue. According to on-chain data, the TRUMP and MELANIA coins generated a total return of approximately $427 million, while the WLFI token generated approximately $550 million. Furthermore, the sales volume of the family's stablecoin, USD1, reached $2.7 billion. According to FT calculations, Barron Trump, the youngest member of the family, is among those who have profited significantly from these ventures. At just 19 years old, Barron's wealth has surpassed $150 million, surpassing that of his mother, Melania Trump. Vanity Fair reports that Barron's wealth has risen from $80 million to $150 million in just a few months, largely due to his investments in WLFI and stablecoins. The Trump family's DT Marks DeFi LLC has received 22.5 billion WLFI tokens for use of the brand, and Barron owns a 10% stake in the company. A $750 million token deal with Alt5 Sigma has also added $41 million to Barron's income.
The Trump family's crypto activities don't end there. Eric Trump announced plans to tokenize real estate through WLFI. He announced that they are working on a model that would allow the public to invest with small amounts by tokenizing a building currently under construction. With this system, investors can own a small portion of real estate by investing, for example, $1,000. They will also be offered additional benefits such as hotel services or exclusive access. Zack Witkoff, another co-founder of WLFI, stated that this model will create new investment opportunities for the Trump family's global supporters.
Are these profits "ethical"?
However, these massive gains have also sparked ethical debate. Trump's direct income from his family's businesses while in office has reignited allegations of conflict of interest. Some legal experts argue that the president's cryptocurrency activities on this scale challenge ethical boundaries. Critics argue that the Trump administration's soft line on crypto regulations has benefited these projects.
Despite this, the Trump family has become a major powerhouse in the crypto industry, both financially and symbolically. Their income from digital assets has surpassed traditional sources of wealth. However, whether these gains are sustainable in the long term will depend on volatility in the crypto markets and the likelihood of tightening regulations. For now, the Trump family has attracted attention in the world of digital finance as well as in politics.
