Trump
|5 min ReadTrump’s $1 Billion Crypto Empire Blends Power and Profit
Maya Chen
Senior Analyst
Published
Jan 16, 2026
From lawsuits to a crypto windfall
Just a year ago, Donald Trump told the courts he was broke. He said if his 100 million, he’d have to sell real estate at a loss. Months later, everything changed. The reelected president is now richer than ever.
He sells branded Bibles, sneakers, perfumes, even guitars. His wife Melania signed a 1 billion in profit last year, fueled by policies from his own administration that unleashed a historic crypto boom.
His stake in Trump Media & Technology Group—owner of Truth Social and a Bitcoin reserve arm—is now worth $1.9 billion. Eric Trump told reporters the true number is “probably higher.”
The network is sprawling, opaque, and global—memecoins, NFTs, stablecoins, DeFi platforms, and token funds all tied to the Trump brand. The money flows in from foreign billionaires, sovereign investors, and at least one figure once probed by U.S. authorities.
The “crypto president” remakes policy
Trump promised to be America’s “first crypto president,” and he has delivered. He created a national Bitcoin reserve, replaced crypto skeptics in key agencies with allies, and ordered the SEC to halt major enforcement actions.
Bitcoin hit new records through the summer. Companies that fled under Biden returned. Crypto CEOs filled the East Room again. “We’re going to move faster than anyone imagined,” Trump said. “This is a very hot industry.”
Protesters in Washington in May accused Trump of conflicts over crypto donations. © Jemal Countess/Getty Images for Public Citizen
He fired SEC chair Gary Gensler on day one, replacing him with former commissioner Paul Atkins. The Justice Department soon eased off crypto probes, citing a presidential order not to charge firms over “unintentional” violations. Americans can now hold crypto in retirement accounts. Stablecoin laws are clearer. Bank restrictions are gone.
He even pardoned Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht and former BitMEX staff—moves cheered across the industry. Bitcoin soared. So did dozens of tokens.
Memecoins, stablecoins, and inside gains
Just before taking office, Trump launched MELANIA memecoins. The FT found little real use beyond speculation, yet they pulled in about $427 million in sales and fees.
When prices dipped, he promised a private dinner at his golf club for the top 220 coinholders. Prices bounced right back.
Then came World Liberty Financial, built by Trump’s sons and Steve Witkoff’s family. It runs two tokens: governance token WLFI and dollar-backed stablecoin USD1. WLFI sales brought in 2.71 billion. Investing those reserves in U.S. treasuries earned another 57.3 million in income from it last year.
Crypto billionaire Justin Sun invested $75 million in Trump-linked World Liberty Financial. The SEC dropped his fraud case soon after. © Ore Huiying/Bloomberg
Trump Media also pivoted into crypto, raising billions for Bitcoin funds. The move turned a 3 billion in cash flow. Trump owns 53 percent.
Foreign money and family ties
Foreign investors piled in. Abu Dhabi’s MGX put 300 million for Bitcoin and 100 million in WLFI tokens.
World Liberty Financial also funds a pro-Trump group called the Digital Freedom Fund PAC. The Winklevoss twins donated 1 million.
Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump, Zach Witkoff, and Zak Folkman ring the Nasdaq opening bell in August. © Getty Images
Cabinet members are in the mix too. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick’s Cantor Fitzgerald holds billions in Tether-backed treasuries. Vice President J.D. Vance and housing chief Bill Pulte both own crypto.
Steve Witkoff and his sons hold 3.75 billion WLFI tokens worth $530 million, plus 25 percent of the platform’s revenue. The White House counsel said they’re working on compliance.
Eric Trump and Donald Jr. now travel the world—Abu Dhabi, Hong Kong, Singapore—pitching crypto deals. “The people writing the laws are also investors now,” Don Jr. told a Vegas conference. “It’s going to be very good for everyone.”
Eric Trump added, “Washington will stockpile a lot of Bitcoin. One day it could be worth a billion a coin.”
He smiled. “The Bitcoin community loves my father. I’ve never seen anything like it. And I hope that love pays well.”
Disclaimer: This document is intended for informational and entertainment purposes only. The views expressed in this document are not, and should not be taken as, investment advice or recommendations. Recipients should do their own due diligence, taking into account their specific financial circumstances, investment objectives and risk tolerance, which are not considered here, before investing. This document is not an offer, or the solicitation of an offer, to buy or sell any of the assets mentioned.