While most former presidents content themselves with writing memoirs and commanding speaking fees, Donald Trump has launched into a rather more audacious post-presidency venture: transforming himself into America’s most politically branded cryptocurrency mogul through a staggering $2.4 billion fundraising blitz that would make even the most seasoned Wall Street operators pause.
The centerpiece of this crypto crusade involves the Truth Social Bitcoin and Ethereum ETF—a 75% Bitcoin, 25% Ethereum vehicle that blurs the line between political theater and investment product in ways previously unimaginable. Filed under SEC rule 19b-4 with the New York Stock Exchange, this ETF represents the ultimate fusion of brand politics and digital assets, with Crypto.com serving as custodian and execution agent.
Trump’s family wealth has swelled by approximately $2.9 billion over six months, with crypto holdings now comprising nearly 40% of the former president’s net worth. This portfolio includes stakes in meme coins $TRUMP and $MELANIA (because apparently even cryptocurrency needs a family touch), plus ownership in World Liberty Financial—a crypto exchange that launched in October 2024 and has attracted serious institutional backing.
The fundraising mechanics reveal sophisticated financial engineering: approximately $1.44 billion raised through equity issuance and $1 billion via convertible senior secured notes that pay no interest but convert to common stock. This capital deployment strategy, sourced from roughly 50 individuals and investment funds shortly after Trump’s inauguration, marks the first instance of a sitting president raising such substantial capital in a company he controls. The broader initiative encompasses Trump Media’s ambitious America First Bitcoin Fund and America First Stablecoin Income Fund, targeting supporters aligned with the “America First” political agenda.
World Liberty Financial’s operations demonstrate the venture’s ambitious scope, with Abu Dhabi-backed firm MGX committing $2 billion to purchase a stablecoin product (“USD1”) for deployment on Binance. Meanwhile, the $TRUMP meme coin has oscillated between $7 and $18.54, generating tens of millions in personal earnings by mid-2025. The Trump family entity maintains a commanding 60% stake in World Liberty while also capturing 75% of net revenue from token purchases. As blockchain platforms compete for market share, emerging Layer 1 networks like Kaanch Network are demonstrating capabilities to process 1.4 million transactions per second with near-zero gas fees, potentially reshaping the infrastructure landscape for such large-scale crypto operations.
This crypto gambit benefits from a regulatory environment increasingly favorable to digital currencies under Trump’s administration, though investor composition remains partially obscured due to cryptocurrency wallet anonymity—adding another layer of intrigue to an already unprecedented political-financial experiment.
