Key facts
- Investors have lost an estimated $4.7 billion through Donald Trump's digital asset ventures since 2022, according to Public Citizen.
- The TRUMP memecoin represents the largest portion of these losses, with $3.2 billion lost by investors.
- World Liberty Financial's USD1 stablecoin investors have not suffered major losses.
- Donald Trump earned millions from licensing fees and royalties related to his NFT trading cards, World Liberty tokens, and the TRUMP memecoin.
- Public Citizen is advocating for ethics provisions in cryptocurrency legislation to separate presidential policy choices from personal portfolios in the industry.
US President Donald Trump's digital asset ventures have resulted in an estimated $4.7 billion in investor losses since 2022, according to a report by the nonprofit consumer advocacy organization Public Citizen. The bulk of these losses, totaling $3.2 billion, are attributed to investors in the TRUMP memecoin, while buyers of World Liberty Financial's USD1 stablecoin have not experienced significant financial setbacks.
Public Citizen detailed that Trump himself earned millions from these ventures, including $7.2 million from NFT licensing fees and royalties, over $600 million from World Liberty token sales and equity stakes, $635 million in licensing fees for his memecoin, and $197 million from capital contributions to World Liberty. Some of these earnings, totaling $1.4 billion, were included in Trump's 2025 financial disclosures related to crypto.
Amid these findings and the potential for future ventures, Public Citizen has reiterated its call for ethics provisions within cryptocurrency market structure legislation, such as the Digital Asset Market Clarity (CLARITY) Act. The organization argues that presidential policy choices and personal portfolios in the crypto industry cannot be separated, advocating for divestment requirements for presidents and their families from such projects.
Trump recently met with crypto company executives to discuss the CLARITY Act, which is scheduled for a cloture vote in the Senate on September 15. The bill requires at least 60 votes to advance.