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Trump’s Meme Coin Soars on Inauguration Day, Sending Ripple Through the Crypto Market

Donald Trump’s newly unveiled cryptocurrency, known as $TRUMP, has sparked a wave of excitement in the market. On Monday, the token surged to a market cap surpassing $10 billion, and the fervour surrounding Trump’s crypto-friendly stance temporarily boosted Bitcoin to a fresh all-time high.

Launched just hours before his swearing-in on Friday night, Trump’s so-called “meme coin” started under $10, but within hours, it skyrocketed, reaching as high as $74.59 by Sunday. However, the price corrected on Monday, settling around $33.88, according to CoinGecko. In addition to the $TRUMP coin, another Trump-affiliated project, World Liberty Financial, announced that its initial token sale had raised a substantial $300 million, with plans to issue more tokens soon.

Trump’s growing involvement in the crypto world comes as many expect his administration to lead a new “golden age” for digital currencies, offering a sharp contrast to the stringent regulatory approach under former President Joe Biden. On inauguration day, Bitcoin hit an all-time high of $109,071, but by Monday, it had retraced slightly, trading around $101,867.40.

“The cryptocurrency market has gained traction in recent days, especially after the launch of the $TRUMP and $MELANIA tokens ahead of the inauguration,” commented Grzegorz Drozdz, a market analyst at Conotoxia Ltd. Both tokens, launched on the Solana blockchain, contributed to a price surge in Solana’s coin, which reached an all-time high of $294.33 on Sunday.

Despite the excitement, some analysts warn that we may be witnessing a “sell-the-news” moment. Matthew Dibb, chief investment officer at Astronaut Capital, predicted that further volatility is likely. “Bitcoin has already retreated… The market is bracing for more fluctuation and a potential selloff,” he said.

The $TRUMP coin initially traded below $10, but rapidly climbed, hitting $72.62 by Sunday, only to fall back to the low $30 range by Monday evening. According to the coin’s website, CIC Digital, a Trump-linked affiliate, controls 80% of the token supply, alongside another group named Fight, Fight, Fight. The coin is marketed as a symbol of support for Trump’s ideals, not as an investment or security.

Concerns over ethics and potential conflicts of interest have surfaced, especially with the launch of the $TRUMP token. Several members of Trump’s administration and inner circle are known to have connections to the crypto industry. “While it’s tempting to dismiss this as just another Trump spectacle, the launch of the official Trump token raises serious ethical and regulatory questions,” remarked Justin D’Anethan, an independent crypto analyst based in Hong Kong.

The Trump Organization has stated that the president will hand over the day-to-day management of his vast portfolio to his children when he enters the White House. Forbes estimates Trump’s net worth at $6.7 billion, excluding his crypto ventures.

The speculative nature of meme coins like $TRUMP, however, has raised alarms. As Drozdz pointed out, these types of cryptocurrencies are prone to significant price swings. “We generally view them as speculative assets,” he noted.

Trump’s $TRUMP token represents a fascinating intersection of digital assets and politics, but D’Anethan warns it could muddy the waters between governance, profit, and influence. “The launch of this coin creates a potential Pandora’s box of ethical dilemmas,” he said.

Despite the hype, the expected policy shifts in the crypto space, like the creation of a bitcoin strategic reserve and loosening regulations around digital assets, are likely to unfold over the coming months rather than days. Dibb concluded, “The market has high hopes for these changes, but they will likely be implemented gradually.”

Trump’s crypto ventures have already reshaped the digital landscape, and as his presidency unfolds, the $TRUMP coin and its impact on the crypto market will undoubtedly continue to raise eyebrows.

Europe’s Deadly Summer Heat Exposed The Cost Of A Warming Continent

Europe experienced its deadliest summer for heat-related deaths on record in 2026, with an estimated 24,400 excess deaths linked to extreme temperatures across 30 countries. Researchers estimate that human-induced climate change was responsible for around 32,000 of the deaths attributed to heat in the study’s broader analysis, accounting for 65% of the total.

The findings highlight the growing public-health consequences of global warming, largely driven by fossil fuel use, as extreme heat becomes more frequent and severe.

A Summer Of Dangerous Heat

Between June and August, heatwaves pushed temperatures in Western Europe to an average of 2.9°C above the 1991–2020 norm, with some days reaching 12°C above average. Nearly a third of estimated heat-related deaths occurred during a particularly intense heatwave between 17 June and 1 July.

“These numbers are a stark reminder that our hotter, more extreme summers are having an increasingly severe impact on public health,” said Dr Clair Barnes, a researcher at Imperial College London and co-author of the study.

The estimated toll exceeded previous peaks of around 29,000 deaths in summer 2022 and 28,000 in 2003 across the region studied.

How Researchers Estimated The Toll

Researchers modelled the relationship between temperature and mortality across 854 urban areas in the EU, UK, Norway and Switzerland, covering around 40% of the population in the 30 countries studied.

The analysis incorporated temperature records, age, socioeconomic conditions, environmental factors and access to healthcare. By comparing actual temperatures with those expected without human-induced warming, the team estimated the additional deaths attributable to climate change.

Final official mortality figures for summer 2026 are not yet available in many countries, and heat-related deaths are often underreported because their effects can be difficult to identify directly.

Older People Face The Greatest Risk

People aged 85 and over accounted for roughly half of the estimated deaths. However, the impact extended across age groups, with around 800 excess deaths among adults aged 20–44 and approximately 6,000 among people under 65.

Southern Europe experienced the highest mortality burden, reflecting hotter temperatures and other vulnerabilities, including air pollution, limited green space and unequal access to healthcare and heat-alert systems.

Italy, France And Spain Record Highest Toll

Italy recorded an estimated 13,303 heat-related excess deaths, followed by France with 7,268 and Spain with 6,824. Germany recorded around 6,340, while the UK saw an estimated 4,354 deaths.

In the UK, the heat also placed significant pressure on healthcare services. Andrew Hartle, Professor of Practice of Anaesthesia at Imperial College Healthcare, said demand during the summer resembled that of a severe winter virus season.

Cities Urged To Strengthen Heat Protection

Researchers say cities can reduce the risks through climate shelters, external shading and building retrofits, alongside measures to help residents avoid exposure during the hottest hours. Checking on vulnerable people, staying hydrated and following heat alerts are also important.

The researchers stress that adaptation must go hand in hand with reducing fossil fuel use to limit further warming. The findings underline that extreme heat is already a major public-health threat across Europe, with thousands of lives at risk each summer.

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