Market News
Exclusive: Trump's meme coin made nearly $100 million in trading fees, as small traders lost money - REUTERS
By Tom Wilson and Michelle Conlin
Summary
- Small traders lost money as $Trump coin slumped in value by two-thirds
- CIC Digital, a Trump affiliate, among entities receiving trading fees from coin
- Some ethics experts criticize Trump's potential conflict of interest in crypto
NEW YORK, Feb 3 - Entities behind President Donald Trump’s crypto coin have accumulated close to $100 million in trading fees in less than two weeks, according to estimates from three blockchain analysis firms, a large windfall from a venture that has seen tens of thousands of small traders lose money.
The meme coin, known as $Trump, was launched by the president on Jan. 17 and quickly surged, reaching a peak of over $14.5 billion in overall market value by Jan. 19, the day before his inauguration. It has since slumped by two-thirds.