Melania Trump’s $MELANIA Memecoin Sparks $99M Insider Trading Scandal Before Public Launch
Key Takeaways
- Over $99.6 million in profits were generated by just 24 wallets in under a week.
- $2.6 million in pre-launch buys occurred minutes before Melania Trump’s official announcement.
- 81% of the tokens sold within 12 hours of the price surge.
- One wallet netted $43.4M in less than four days.
- Memecoins remain unregulated, allowing insiders to exploit launches without legal consequences.
- $MELANIA has no ties to Donald Trump’s $TRUMP token, despite being pushed under a similar brand narrative.
A Closer Look at the $MELANIA Frenzy
A Financial Times investigation has revealed that Melania Trump’s newly launched memecoin, $MELANIA, may have been the subject of one of the largest and most coordinated insider trading events in the history of crypto memecoins.
In the minutes leading up to Melania Trump’s official January 19, 2025, post endorsing the token, a group of 24 wallets deployed a total of $2.6 million into the token’s liquidity. These same wallets offloaded their positions almost immediately after the coin’s value surged, netting $99.6 million in profit.
The bulk of these trades were executed in less than 12 hours after the public endorsement. One wallet alone is reported to have generated $43.4 million in under four days.
Is It Insider Trading? Not Legally — But Ethically?
Unlike traditional securities, memecoins are not subject to the SEC’s insider trading regulations, allowing crypto traders to profit from pre-announced insider knowledge with no legal oversight.
The explosive rise of celebrity memecoins like $MELANIA — and earlier, Donald Trump’s $TRUMP token, which itself raised $350 million — has raised red flags across regulatory circles. However, only $TRUMP was verified as having no insider activity prior to launch. The $MELANIA launch, by contrast, is now widely believed to have been coordinated by a close circle of insiders.
Who’s Behind It?
The $MELANIA coin is promoted through MKT World LLC, a private firm allegedly controlled by individuals close to Melania Trump. Although her name is being used to market the token, the ownership structure, tokenomics, and revenue flow of $MELANIA remain opaque.
Importantly, Donald Trump’s team has distanced itself from this new launch, emphasizing that $MELANIA is not related to any prior crypto activity associated with the former president.
Industry Reactions
Crypto analysts and on-chain detectives are sounding alarms. ZachXBT, a prominent blockchain investigator, described the transaction pattern as “textbook insider pump-and-dump behavior.” Critics argue that this trend of celebrity-linked tokens launching with opaque structures and clear early entries undermines trust in the memecoin market.
On the other hand, defenders of the memecoin model argue that the lack of regulation is part of what enables fast-paced innovation and freedom in the Web3 space. However, they caution that such unchecked behavior may ultimately invite aggressive regulatory crackdowns.
Final Thoughts
The $MELANIA saga is a stark reminder that memecoins operate in a legally grey zone — where timing, marketing, and social influence can generate tens of millions overnight. Whether or not any wrongdoing can be proven in court, the optics of the $99 million payday for early wallets raises ethical questions that crypto will continue to grapple with.
If regulation catches up to the memecoin space, $MELANIA may go down as one of the last major pre-regulation insider windfalls — or as the case study that forced change.
Disclaimer
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice. Cryptocurrency investments are volatile and carry significant risk. Always do your own research and consult a licensed advisor before investing.
