Harvesting "the amount": How the Trump family makes huge money from the couple's token craze & global scandals

When aging politicians and outside businesspeople shake hands, they prove that Meme coins can become the most efficient “value extraction machines”—as long as you know how to operate them. Not everyone can make a fortune from this虚无的cryptocurrency, but those close to the centers of power are different.

Inauguration Week: When Cryptocurrency Meets Politics

In mid-January 2025, Washington D.C. became the playground for those wanting to turn politics into profit. At a “cryptocurrency gala” near Mellon Auditorium with a ticket price of $2,500, figures like former Congressman George Santos, House Speaker Mike Johnson, and crypto influencers buzzed in and out. Inside, a crypto expert once said this was the time “The President is about to launch a token bearing his name”—and they were right.

Just a few hours later, an announcement on Truth Social confirmed: TRUMP token launched. Its price, which was nearly negligible, skyrocketed to $74 within hours. Over the weekend, Melania also released her own token—MELANIA—and immediately hit $13. According to blockchain analysis firms, the couple and their mysterious partners may have made over $350 million.

But then everything collapsed. After a few days, token prices plummeted mercilessly. By the end of 2025, TRUMP was only $5.9 (down 92% from its peak), MELANIA dropped 99% to $0.11. Hundreds of thousands of retail investors were wiped out. Only early holders—those “insiders”—escaped unscathed.

Meme Coin: From Joke to Casino

To understand more deeply, you need to know what Meme coins are. In 2013, two software engineers created Dogecoin as a parody—they chose the famous internet meme of a Shiba Inu dog giving a side-eye glance as their symbol, aiming to satirize the crypto craze after Bitcoin. But the world didn’t get the banter—investors flooded in, and within weeks, Dogecoin was valued at $12 million.

Since then, Meme coins have become a market phenomenon. Unlike stocks or traditional cryptocurrencies (which at least have a product or vision behind them), Meme coins are entirely based on “hype”—the shared belief that prices will keep rising. They don’t make money from the actual value of the token but from reselling at higher prices. Essentially: gambling, not investing.

The platform Pump.fun, run by Alon Cohen (22 years old), became the largest “Meme coin creation machine.” Similar to a betting site, Pump.fun allows anyone to create tokens with just a few clicks—no coding skills, no registration, completely anonymous. From January 2024 to now, transaction fees from this platform have generated $1 billion in revenue.

Behind the Curtain: The Strange Names

But who is behind TRUMP? Trump claims he “knows nothing, just heard it’s very successful.” However, a Delaware company registration document lists a name: Bill Zanker, 71.

Zanker is no stranger to Trump— the two have collaborated since the 2000s, co-authoring books, organizing glamorous real estate fundraising seminars. Since the 2010s, Zanker has continually sought new ways to make money—from NFTs (with rights helping Trump earn $7 million), to the perfume “Victory 47” priced at $249, and then Meme coins.

Zanker’s son, Dylan, is also involved. When asked about his role, Dylan refused to answer. But a revealing clue is that in April 2025, the TRUMP website announced: “The top 220 investors will be invited to a grand dinner with the President at Trump National Golf Club.” Zaeker appeared at this event as the host.

The Real Main Character: Hayden Davis & the Shadow “Manipulator”

But Zanker might just be “the name on the file.” The real lead points to Hayden Davis, 29, crypto advisor to Argentine President Javier Milei.

Davis was the first to kick off the “global Meme coin scandal.” At the same time Trump’s couple launched their token, Milei quickly issued “Libra token”—but it collapsed within hours. This caused a political crisis in Argentina, raising questions: Who advised Milei to issue the token? Who profited from it?

The answer: Hayden Davis. When Libra’s bubble burst, Davis publicly admitted—he posted a video claiming “I am indeed Milei’s advisor” and boasted that he made $100 million from selling Libra. He also made shocking statements: “Whatever Milei signs, whatever he is told to do,” revealing his true role was not just “advisor” but “operator.”

In leaked messages, Davis wrote: “Sell as much as possible, even if the price drops to zero,” and admitted MELANIA token was also in his network. He founded Kelsier Ventures, a company specializing in “token issuance” for politicians and celebrities—a sort of Meme coin investment bank, if you like.

According to detailed blockchain analysis by Bubblemaps (a “cryptocurrency spyware company”), Davis and his partners earned over $150 million from the tokens he “helped issue.” More than half came from Libra.

Whistleblowers & Secret Links

The trail leads to a former accomplice of Davis: Moty Povolotski. After Libra’s collapse, Povolotski decided to blow the whistle—he revealed Davis was not an “independent player” but an “enforcer” for bigger players.

According to Povolotski, Davis often said “Ben told me to do this,” “Ben told me to do that”—the person is Ben Chow, CEO of Meteora, a larger crypto exchange than Pump.fun. Interestingly, TRUMP, MELANIA, and LIBRA were all first issued on Meteora—not Pump.fun.

After Povolotski exposed him, Ben Chow quickly resigned. He claimed he was just a “connector” between Davis and the Melania team, but didn’t know the details. However, messages show he once said, “Melania needed help at that time, I introduced them to Hayden Davis”—clearly not coincidental.

Uncovering Meow: The Mysterious “Exchange Director”

Next in line is another public figure: Ng Ming Yeow, nicknamed “Meow,” co-founder of Meteora and behind the popular trading app Jupiter.

Ng Ming Yeow, over 40, from Singapore, previously created the “Mr. Tweet” service in San Francisco. He got interested in Meme coins at a “Dogecoin-themed party” and was captivated. After the Sam Bankman-Fried (scandal, who had invested in his company), Ng Ming Yeow renamed his app Meteora.

Interestingly, when asked directly about his role in issuing TRUMP, Ng Ming Yeow admitted “someone from the Trump team contacted us for technical support” but emphasized Meteora “only provides technical support, does not participate in trading.” He defends himself by arguing: “What responsibility does a decentralized platform have when anyone can issue any token?”

When asked specifically, Ng Ming Yeow said: “All financial assets are essentially Meme coins”—including the US dollar. He views Meme coin issuance as “building a new monetary system,” where “everyone can create money for any issue.” This philosophy sounds harmless, but in reality, Meteora earned 90% of its total revenue of $134 million from Meme coin trading—more than any other platform.

After launching its own token in October, Meteora’s market cap exceeded $300 million.

Overlooked Factors: Conflicts of Interest & Lack of Oversight

When TRUMP, MELANIA, and LIBRA collapsed, questions about “conflicts of interest” arose. If a President makes a fortune from tokens, would their crypto policies be affected? White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt quickly responded: “The President never participates personally”—but how can he avoid conflicts of interest after hours?

Subsequently, a series of “favor-giving” moves emerged:

• The President pushed plans for “US government to buy strategic Bitcoin reserves”
• His son Eric owns a Bitcoin mining company
• Trump pardoned crypto billionaire Zhao Changpeng, who had supported Trump’s previous crypto project
• The Trump administration relaxed regulations on “prediction markets”—a sector in which Trump’s family is also involved

Even Chinese-origin crypto billionaire Justin Sun (, who previously managed another crypto company), bought TRUMP for $15 million, and was invited to a private dinner with the President at Trump National Golf Club. Months earlier, a US regulatory fraud lawsuit against Sun was suspended—strangely.

Under Biden, the SEC (regulator) considers Meme coins “without real value” but is not actively prosecuting. Under Trump, they declared “no regulation”—only stating “anti-fraud laws still apply” but with no enforcement. The result: Meme coins have become a “Wild West”—anyone can scam.

Others & the “Baby in the Bath”

Regarding lawyer Max Burwick, representing the losing investors: “This is the ‘ultimate value-draining machine’ designed by a highly talented group.” He is suing Pump.fun and other platforms but has not directly accused Trump.

When asked about market manipulation allegations, Ng Ming Yeow said: “You shouldn’t throw out the baby with the bathwater”—a metaphor implying that the crypto industry has good (the baby) but also bad (dog poop, baby poop, E. coli bacteria). He believes that “the baby” exists and deserves protection.

But when asked specifically about Davis, Meow fell silent for 15 seconds—a clear sign of anxiety.

Conclusion: Market Cooling & The “Value-Draining Machine” Moving Downstream

In November, Meme coin trading volume dropped 92% from its January peak. Investors lost interest as prices sequentially collapsed. Many influencers who promoted Meme coins shifted to “prediction markets”—a sector where Trump’s administration relaxed controls, and Trump’s family is also involved.

In June, “Fight Fight Fight LLC” announced plans to develop a new Trump crypto trading app, but Trump’s son publicly opposed it—the family wants to develop their own app.

The reality is: those close to power have made huge profits. Davis is now a “pariah” in the industry; he disappeared from social media, but his blockchain wallet remains active. Ben Chow resigned. Ng Ming Yeow still controls Meteora, which issued tokens with a market cap over $300 million.

Zanker? He appears at crypto-related parties, dressed in suits, red ties, holding magazines featuring major investors—but no one needs him anymore.

No one wants to take credit for helping the Trump couple issue a cryptocurrency that lost over 90% of its value. But all of them made huge money within hours.