The cryptocurrency world was rocked this weekend by an unexpected development: President-elect Donald Trump and incoming First Lady Melania Trump launched their meme coins, stirring excitement and skepticism across markets. At the same time, billionaire investor Mark Cuban shared a personal story to warn people about the risks of crypto trading.
Mark Cuban's Warning
Amid the chaos, Mark Cuban offered a reminder about the pitfalls of the crypto market. Reflecting on his experience, Cuban replied to Mehdi Hasan, who said, “Trump just became one of the top 25 richest people on earth,” with, "I once owned some crypto that overnight was worth $19B. Now, that same crypto is worth $15K. I was able to get my money out and a little more. That was it."
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During an Ask Me Anything session on X in 2024, Cuban revealed that Polygon, now rebranded to POL, and Injective were his favorite cryptocurrency projects outside of Bitcoin and Ethereum. He also invested in and integrated Dogecoin with his businesses.
Cuban's cautionary tale highlights a key issue in cryptocurrency trading: liquidity. Even assets with sky-high valuations can collapse if there's insufficient demand to support sell-offs, meaning Trump might find it difficult to quickly cash out billions of dollars from $TRUMP.
In addition to his commentary, Cuban posted two lighthearted Twitter polls about the situation. In one, he asked if Trump's son Barron should name his coin $Barron or $Hunter. Most voters chose $Barron. Another poll asked which coin – $TRUMP or $MELANIA – was the better investment, sparking much debate.
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Trump's foray into the cryptocurrency space began with the launch of the OFFICIAL TRUMP token. The coin caused a frenzy, briefly reaching a staggering, fully diluted valuation of $74 billion. At its peak, the token's current value of $53.69 gave Trump's reported 80% stake an estimated worth of $43 billion. For a moment, Trump's cryptocurrency wealth overshadowed his real estate empire and Truth Social.
But the buzz was short-lived. On Sunday evening, $TRUMP plunged by 36%, dropping from $73 to $46 and wiping out $5 billion in market capitalization. The sell-off coincided with the launch of Melania Trump's rival token, $MELANIA, leaving traders scrambling to reassess their positions.
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Melania Trump announced her meme coin, $MELANIA, on Sunday, calling it "The Official Melania Meme" in a post by Donald Trump. Like $TRUMP, her coin was launched on the Solana blockchain. With a fully diluted valuation of $11.14 billion, Melania's 35% stake was worth an estimated $3.89 billion.
In just 24 hours, $MELANIA surged over 21,000%, generating $383 million in liquidity within four hours. Its website warned buyers: "Melania Memes are intended for collecting and entertainment purposes only. They are not financial instruments or investments."
Former White House Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci labeled the launches "Idi Amin-level corruption." Others questioned the ethics of public figures using their influence to promote speculative assets. Still, supporters argued the initiatives showcased Trump's embrace of cryptocurrency innovation.
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