Trump, Tiptoeing the Edge of the Constitution: The Night Before Taking Office, He Capitalized on a MEME Coin Craze
Original Article by: Zack Guzmán, Founder and Host of Coinage_media
Article Translation by: Ashley, BlockBeats
Editor's Note: The author points out that the Trump family cleverly circumvented the Constitution's Emoluments Clause controversy when launching the $TRUMP and $MELANIA tokens. By strategically entering the NFT and cryptocurrency space early on, they leveraged Web3 to maximize their interests within legal boundaries.
The following is the original content (slightly reorganized for better readability):
The Trump family rapidly rolled out the $TRUMP and $MELANIA tokens just before the inauguration ceremony for a very crucial reason. Whether you love or hate Trump, the fact is, delaying even one more day could have exposed him to the risk of constitutional violations and potential impeachment once again.
According to the Constitution, the President must not abuse their power for personal gain. In particular, the Emoluments Clause explicitly prohibits the President from receiving benefits or profits from foreign governments. This is precisely why these tokens are so noteworthy.
Over the past few years, the Trump couple has been testing the market waters through various NFT releases. They have used separate companies and seemingly different teams. These companies have paid Melania and Trump respective fees, thus maintaining the "independence" of direct token purchases.

According to Trump's public tax filings, he earned approximately $7.2 million through involvement in NFT-related transactions. This income is linked to his partnership with CIC Digital in the $TRUMP project. Melania, on the other hand, earned over $330,000 through an agreement related to NFT sales.

Despite all this appearing convoluted, one thing is certain: launching these tokens before Trump formally became President made things easier. Failing to do so would have made it easier to allege that Trump benefited from the presidency and violated the Emoluments Clause.
While our founding fathers hoped to prevent the President from unduly profiting from power, I don't think Jefferson or Madison ever discussed meme coins. What do you think?
You may also like

Key Market Intelligence for February 5th, how much did you miss out on?

Wintermute: By 2026, crypto had gradually become the settlement layer of the Internet economy

Tether Q4 2025 Report: USDT Market Cap Nears $190 Billion, Multiple Metrics Reach All-Time Highs

Kyle Samani's about-face, one of the biggest believers in web3, has also left the industry

Bhutan Quietly Sells Over $22M in Bitcoin, Drawing Speculation Over Possible Moves
Key Takeaways Bhutan has transferred over $22 million in Bitcoin from sovereign wallets in the past week. The…

BitMine Endures a $7B Unrealized Loss as Ethereum Dips Below $2,100
Key Takeaways BitMine is facing a significant financial challenge with an unrealized loss of over $7 billion in…

Trump-Linked World Liberty Financial Under Scrutiny Following $500 Million UAE Stake
Key Takeaways A U.S. House investigation is examining a $500 million UAE stake in Trump-related World Liberty Financial.…

Asia Market Open: Bitcoin Tumbles as Asian Equities Reflect Global Tech Retreat
Key Takeaways: Bitcoin’s price plunged by 6% to $72,000, reflecting the spillover effects from the global tech sector’s…

Crypto Firms Propose Concessions to Banks as Stablecoin Disputes Stall Key Crypto Bill
Key Takeaways: Crypto companies are attempting to navigate stablecoin disputes with banks but agreements remain elusive. Industry representatives…

CoolWallet Introduces TRON Energy Rental to Minimize TRX Transaction Costs
Key Takeaways CoolWallet has integrated TRON’s energy rental services, offering users lower transaction fees while maintaining asset security.…

CFTC Officially Withdraws Biden-Era Proposal to Ban Political and Sports Prediction Markets
Key Takeaways: The CFTC has rescinded a 2024 proposal and subsequent 2025 advisory that aimed to prohibit event…

Binance Says Assets Rose Amid Alleged Bank Run Attempt
Key Takeaways: Binance reported an unexpected increase in assets during a community-driven withdrawal campaign, challenging conventional expectations of…

Same Macro Tape, Different Bid – Gold Absorbs Flows as Bitcoin Swings
Key Takeaways: Gold is experiencing significant demand growth, especially via ETFs and central banks, projecting a robust performance…

Crypto Price Prediction Today, February 4 – Focus on XRP, Cardano, and Dogecoin
Key Takeaways Bitcoin is facing significant pressure, affecting the entire cryptocurrency market, including heavyweights like XRP, Cardano, and…

Vitalik Buterin Urges Ethereum Builders to Innovate Beyond Clone Chains
Key Takeaways Vitalik Buterin criticizes the trend of creating copy-paste EVM chains, encouraging developers to focus on truly…

Best Crypto to Buy Now February 4: XRP, Solana, Hyperliquid Picks
Key Takeaways XRP remains one of the top picks for cross-border transactions due to its high speed and…

XRP Price Prediction: Ripple Quietly Unlocks a Billion Tokens – Is a Price Shock Coming in the Next Few Hours?
Key Takeaways Ripple has released one billion XRP tokens into the market, potentially causing a shift in XRP…

Google’s Gemini AI Predicts the Price of XRP, Ethereum, and Solana By the End of 2026
Key Takeaways Google’s Gemini AI forecasts significant growth for XRP, anticipating a price of up to $8 by…
Key Market Intelligence for February 5th, how much did you miss out on?
Wintermute: By 2026, crypto had gradually become the settlement layer of the Internet economy
Tether Q4 2025 Report: USDT Market Cap Nears $190 Billion, Multiple Metrics Reach All-Time Highs
Kyle Samani's about-face, one of the biggest believers in web3, has also left the industry
Bhutan Quietly Sells Over $22M in Bitcoin, Drawing Speculation Over Possible Moves
Key Takeaways Bhutan has transferred over $22 million in Bitcoin from sovereign wallets in the past week. The…
BitMine Endures a $7B Unrealized Loss as Ethereum Dips Below $2,100
Key Takeaways BitMine is facing a significant financial challenge with an unrealized loss of over $7 billion in…