Trump Meme Coin Surpasses $100M in Trading Fees

Entities linked to former U.S. President Donald Trump have reportedly generated over $100 million in trading fees from the Official Trump (TRUMP) meme coin, according to a Reuters report citing estimates from three firms, including Merkle Science and Chainalysis. The trading fees, which ranged between $86 million and $100 million by January 30, were generated through the Meteora decentralized finance trading platform where the meme coin was first sold.

A company owned by Trump, CIC Digital, is among those benefiting from the trading fees, although it's unclear how much, if any, of the fees have gone directly to Trump himself. The meme coin's official website states that CIC Digital will "receive trading revenue derived from trading activities."

The fees come from traders using the Meteora platform, with at least 50 major investors making over $10 million each. However, roughly 200,000 wallets with smaller holdings lost money during the same period. Eric Trump, the former president's son, defended the venture, stating that the TRUMP meme coin "is currently the hottest digital meme on earth. We are just getting started."

Upon its $72 billion market cap debut, the TRUMP meme coin triggered a wave of scams, with 6,800 fake tokens and 91 fraudulent dApps flooding the market. According to blockchain forensic firm Blockaid, within just 48 hours of launch, scammers ramped up efforts to exploit the hype, creating a 206% spike in tokens using the "Trump" name — from 3,300 to 6,800 — making it harder for investors to spot fakes.