Over the past month, major cryptocurrency prices have fallen by double digits. Yet, the Trump-themed coins issued by Donald Trump’s family have moved in the opposite direction, showing a steady upward trend. Their prices rebound quickly whenever the Trump family makes a public statement or announces a new business move.
While the broader market struggles, President Trump has reportedly accumulated about 14 trillion KRW (approximately 9.56 billion USD) in cryptocurrency profits just one year after returning to office. This has raised concerns about political influence being used for personal gain.
As of 3:52 PM Tuesday, the global price of World Liberty Financial (WLFI) stood at 0.1397 USD, up 8.19% from the previous month. During the same period, Official Trump ($TRUMP) traded at 6.93 USD, a significant 18.49% increase. Both are Trump family-issued cryptocurrencies.
These coins have performed markedly differently from major cryptocurrencies, which have weakened since last month. Bitcoin (BTC), the leading cryptocurrency by market cap, fell 16.02%, dropping below 90,000 USD for the first time in seven months.
Ethereum also declined by 23.03%, trading at 2,987 USD, its first dip below the 3,000 USD mark since July. XRP and Solana (SOL) dropped by 8.81% and 26.9%, respectively, while the meme coin Dogecoin (DOGE) fell by 18.7%.
Analysts suggest that while major coins tumbled following President Trump’s comments on tariffs, Trump-themed coins rebounded quickly whenever he promoted pro-cryptocurrency messages or announced related business ventures.
The cryptocurrency market notably contracted after President Trump announced plans to impose a 100% additional tariff on Chinese imports last month, leading to increased risk aversion. Uncertainty surrounding potential Federal Reserve interest rate cuts next month has further contributed to the ongoing market slump.
In contrast, WLFI and $TRUMP experienced temporary declines but quickly recovered each time President Trump made cryptocurrency-related remarks.
On Saturday, Eric Trump, the president’s second son, said that a large amount of capital would move from gold to Bitcoin, adding that Bitcoin would protect assets from inflation and corruption. That same day, American Bitcoin, a company with ties to the Trump family, announced the purchase of another 3,000 BTC in the third quarter, pushing WLFI up as much as 12.5 percent in a single day.
Earlier, on November 6, when President Trump declared that America is emerging as a Bitcoin superpower and the global capital of cryptocurrency, the price of $TRUMP skyrocketed 17.62% in just one day, contrasting sharply with Bitcoin’s stagnation around the 102,000 USD mark.
Additionally, whenever President Trump’s media group, Trump Media Technology Group (TMTG), announced plans to enter decentralized prediction markets, the themed coins showed upward momentum. The volatility typical of meme coins further amplified $TRUMP’s price increases.
Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported that the Trump family has earned an estimated 14 trillion KRW approximately 9.56 billion USD) over the past year. Their main sources of revenue include sales of WLFI and TRUMP, along with transaction fees from USD1.
About 75% of this revenue flows into Trump family enterprises, which hold 25% of the WLFI issuance and directly benefit from price increases.
Critics argue that President Trump is effectively leveraging his political influence to turn cryptocurrency into a means of private profit. There are particular concerns that WLFI could serve as a lobbying tool.
Maxine Waters, the top Democrat on the House Financial Services Committee, recently criticized President Trump’s decision to pardon Binance founder Changpeng Zhao, saying that he was giving preferential treatment to cryptocurrency criminals who align with his interests. Zhao had been sentenced to four months for money laundering violations.
Waters also noted that Zhao had lobbied Trump and his family for months and invested significant funds into World Liberty Financial, suggesting that the pardon was granted in exchange for this support.
Earlier, three Democratic senators, including Elizabeth Warren, expressed concerns to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) that Trump and his family are pursuing private interests in the cryptocurrency business, warning that this could undermine the fairness of financial policy decisions.
In response, SEC Commissioner Paul Atkins said that if conflicts of interest are identified, the agency will set standards and take action.
Donald Trump Jr., the president’s eldest son, pushed back on the criticism, saying that the idea that WLFI investors are trying to gain government favor is unfounded and that no one believes buyers will receive preferential treatment.