Melania Trump has launched her own cryptocurrency

Incoming First Lady Melania Trump has launched her own cryptocurrency just ahead of her husband’s inauguration as US president. The announcement follows the debut of the $Trump cryptocurrency by President-elect Donald Trump the day before. Both coins have seen significant volatility, with fluctuating trade values.
“The Official Melania Meme is live! You can buy $MELANIA now,” Melania shared on the social platform X on Sunday.
The “Official Melania Meme” website states that the cryptocurrency is built and tracked on the Solana blockchain. Both the $Trump and $Melania websites include disclaimers, clarifying that the coins are “not intended to be, or the subject of” an investment opportunity or security.
According to CoinMarketCap, $Trump’s market valuation stands at around $12 billion (£9.8 billion), while $Melania’s is valued at approximately $1.7 billion.
Though Trump had previously labeled cryptocurrency a “scam,” during the 2024 election campaign, he became the first presidential candidate to accept digital assets as donations. He also proposed creating a strategic bitcoin stockpile and appointing financial regulators who would adopt a more favorable stance toward digital assets, fueling speculation that he would ease regulations on the crypto industry.
Following Trump’s election victory, bitcoin surged to a record high and is currently trading at around $140,000, according to the crypto trading platform Coinbase.
On Friday, David Sacks, the incoming AI and crypto czar, hosted a “Crypto Ball” in Washington, DC. Other cryptocurrencies, such as dogecoin, which has gained significant backing from Trump supporter Elon Musk, have also experienced sharp gains this year.
Under President Joe Biden, regulators have increased scrutiny on the cryptocurrency industry, citing concerns over fraud and money laundering, leading to lawsuits against crypto exchanges.