Crypto Traders Profit 81% from Melania Trump’s MELANIA Token Launch

A group of crypto traders reportedly purchased millions of dollars worth of Melania Trump’s memecoins minutes before she announced the launch on social media. This move allowed them to secure nearly $100 million in profits from the MELANIA token within minutes of its market debut. On-chain analysis suggests that two dozen digital wallets purchased $2.6 million worth of tokens less than three minutes before Trump’s Jan. 19 post on Truth Social announced the coin’s launch. The subsequent price surge enabled rapid liquidation, with 81% of the sales executed within 12 hours.

The MELANIA token’s release followed President Donald Trump’s TRUMP coin, launched two days earlier without similar pre-announcement activity. While TRUMP’s distribution began seconds after its official disclosure, the early activity in MELANIA’s case highlights the potential for exploitation during memecoin launches. These tokens, devoid of utility beyond dinner with the president, operate as speculative instruments and are now exempt from securities regulations. Per the SEC’s current view, such trades fall outside federal insider-trading rules.

The wallets involved in the pre-launch accumulation of MELANIA have drawn attention for their possible links to Hayden Davis, a Texas-based crypto entrepreneur. Davis, previously associated with the controversial LIBRA token, denied profiting from the MELANIA release, stating in an interview with an independent journalist, “There was no money made from the Melania team. Zero.” However, blockchain analysis traced early purchases to accounts connected to ventures linked with Davis.

Organizers behind MELANIA, operating through Delaware-based MKT World LLC, have reportedly withdrawn $64.7 million in primary sales and fees, separate from the $99.6 million amassed by early traders. MKT World, previously used by Melania Trump for various ventures since 2021, has yet to clarify its precise role or profit-sharing structure. The First Lady has not commented publicly on the token’s market activity or governance.

The rapid and lucrative trading around MELANIA further reflects the volatility of politically connected tokens. Similar wallet patterns appeared in the LIBRA scandal, suggesting a recurring strategy of leveraging high-profile figures for crypto speculation. Ethical concerns have also emerged, with former CFTC chair calling the involvement of presidential families in commercial tokens “plainly wrong” due to potential conflicts of interest.

The price of MELANIA stabilized at approximately $0.32 as of May 5, placing the 800 million tokens retained by organizers at a notional valuation near $260 million. The token’s unlock schedule began on Feb. 19, releasing 3% of the supply, with monthly distributions of 2.25% planned thereafter. Despite regulatory gaps and anonymity on-chain, the episode illustrates the growing complexity surrounding political branding in digital assets and the challenges facing retail participants in rapidly evolving crypto markets.