The surprise of the weekend was the launch of the $TRUMP cryptocurrency, announced during the Crypto Ball, a gala for investors in digital currencies and held in honor of Donald Trump on Friday, January 17 in Washington. At 9pm, the then president-elect posted his meme coin image which depicts him with his fist raised and the slogan "fight, fight, fight" – his words after the attempt to assassinate him in Pennsylvania in July 2024. "It's time to celebrate everything we stand for: victory! Join my very special Trump community. Get your $TRUMP now," he urged via a post on his social media platform Truth Social.

Speculators wondered if it was a hoax. It wasn't. With a starting price of $10, the Trump coin soared to more than $70. The sale was organized by CIC Digital, a firm affiliated with the Trump Organization, which groups together the interests of the Trump family.

Although they have no intrinsic value, the value of Trump's digital tokens branded with his likeness surged to $12 billion. Factoring in the tokens retained by the Trump family but not exchangeable on the stock market, the valuation was in the region of $60 billion by Sunday morning.

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