The Trump Family’s "Easy Money" Crypto Business

In the first half of last year, Donald Trump’s re-inauguration essentially opened a massive "ATM" for his family. Within just six months of taking office, they raked in a staggering $800 million (approx. 1 trillion KRW) from cryptocurrency ventures alone.

Within the first year of his term, crypto profits surpassed $1.4 billion, and over 20% of the family’s total assets are now comprised of digital assets with unclear underlying substances. Their core business, real estate, plummeted from 79% to less than half, replaced by crypto profits backed by "political power."

Even more startling is that their "book value," including unrealized gains, reaches billions of dollars. Utilizing the status of a sitting president, the Trump family has already built a massive "cryptocurrency empire," showing the epitome of seeking private interest. We delve into the sophisticated ways they are "printing money."

A Crypto Empire Built on Presidential Power

Rather than technical innovation, the Trump family behaves like typical coin operators who issue and sell tokens. Their revenue model is based on a calculated, laundering-like flow of funds: the DeFi platform World Liberty Financial (WLFI), the namesake meme coin 'TRUMP,' and the dollar-pegged stablecoin USD1.

The primary revenue source is World Liberty Financial. This project raises funds by selling tokens, with a structure where the Trump team takes 75% of the net sales revenue. In the first half of last year, the Trump Group's revenue surged 17-fold from $51 million to $864 million, with over 90% coming from crypto businesses, including WLFI sales.

Then come the meme coins. The TRUMP token is an asset built on the Trump brand rather than technical merit. Analysis suggests TRUMP generated over $300 million through liquidity pools and trading structures. Simply put, the process of investors buying and selling in hopes of price appreciation becomes a profit for the Trump family. As long as trading occurs—regardless of price direction—profit is generated.

This structure grew explosively because they combined token issuance with a global investment strategy. Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr. traveled to major financial hubs like Dubai, Singapore, and Europe to meet investors and sell tokens directly.

An UAE-based investment firm reportedly purchased about $100 million worth of WLFI tokens, and numerous overseas investors joined the project. On-chain analysis supports this, showing many top-tier wallets are linked to foreign investors, with a significant portion of the funds flowing in from abroad.

The third pillar, the stablecoin USD1, saw its circulation exceed $3 billion as of early this year. According to Bloomberg, experts value this business at over $300 million, with high potential for additional cash flow through interest revenue structures. This is crucial because it provides a foundation for continuous revenue, similar to a financial system, beyond simple token sales.

Furthermore, they have entered the Bitcoin mining business. In partnership with Hut 8, the Trump family founded 'American Bitcoin.' Eric Trump holds a 7.4% stake in the company, valued at approximately $114 million.

Consequently, the Trump family’s crypto revenue has a multi-layered structure: Token Issuance → Cash Acquisition; Inducing Trading → Additional Profit; Stablecoin → Continuous Revenue; Mining & Equity Investment → Asset Expansion.

The "Trump Effect" and Front-Running Controversies

Another characteristic of this process is the brand premium. Bloomberg analysis shows that companies associated with Trump saw an average 135% stock price increase immediately after announcing collaborations. The name "Trump" itself acts as an asset and a liquidity provider.

Investors in WLFI and TRUMP put in money because of the "Trump connection" rather than the technology. Some investors reportedly participated considering potential access to the President or policy influence. Interestingly, World Liberty Financial's core services are not yet fully implemented, and the token's profit distribution structure remains unclear. Experts evaluate this as "brand-based financing."

The most significant issue, however, is that a U.S. President’s remarks directly impact asset markets, allowing for astronomical private gain. Every time Trump makes crypto-friendly remarks, Bitcoin prices spike. In some instances, trading volume surges even before the remarks, raising suspicions of "front-running" or information leaks.

Last October, an anonymous wallet reportedly made $160–200 million by shorting BTC and ETH just before Trump's tariff announcement. Following the announcement, $19 billion in liquidations occurred, causing altcoin prices to crash. Analysts dubbed this trader the "Trump Insider Whale." This same address also profited $56,000 by betting on the pardon of Binance founder Changpeng Zhao in a prediction market, further fueling suspicions of prior knowledge of policy events.

Similar patterns are observed in traditional markets. In April last year, the stock market surged after Trump called it a "good time to buy" just before announcing tariff deferrals. In the oil market, WTI crude futures volume spiked 15 minutes before Trump announced the postponement of military action against Iran, forming a $170 million position.

Experts point out that these patterns are hard to dismiss as mere coincidences. However, no clear illegalities have been proven to date, and authorities have yet to reach an official conclusion.

by. coinness