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A year into his presidency, US President Donald Trump and his family have reportedly seen a notable shift in their wealth distribution, with a growing concentration of crypto ventures linked to the presidential family.

Trump Family’s Wealth Gets Crypto Boost

On Tuesday, Bloomberg reported that the Trump family’s wealth has remained relatively steady over the past year despite the plunging value of their social media company, Trump Media & Technology Group Corp, and the massive gains of their new crypto ventures.

According to the report, the family’s overall net worth has not grown significantly since President Trump’s inauguration, remaining at around $6.8 billion, as data from the Bloomberg Billionaires Index shows.

Notably, the gains from their new projects were offset by the losses of Trump Media, whose shares have declined by around 66% over the past 12 months, despite efforts to diversify into various endeavors.

Nonetheless, “the way the Trumps’ wealth is distributed now — particularly its concentration in virtual assets and public companies, some of which didn’t exist when he left office in 2021 — represents a sea change in how they’ll earn money for years to come,” the report highlighted.

Per Bloomberg, the family’s most notable change has been the growing concentration of their net worth in cryptocurrencies, with one-fifth of their fortune coming from crypto projects for the first time.

As a result, “cryptocurrency projects became the key driver of the Trump family’s wealth last year,” generating around $1.4 billion from the different digital asset-related ventures managed by the President’s eldest sons, Eric and Donald Trump Jr.

In a statement to the news media outlet, Eric Trump reaffirmed that his family’s crypto push was driven by their experience with banks after the President’s first term. “Having been canceled by banks, out of political malice, led us to many incredible opportunities, as we redefine the future of finance,” he asserted.

Digital Asset Fortune Breakdown

Over the past year, various news outlets have estimated the first family’s crypto fortune, with some reports calculating its value at around $1 billion. In October, Eric Trump shared that the real number was “probably more.”

While the Trump family dived into multiple crypto-related projects, Bloomberg analysis highlighted three of their main ventures: World Liberty Financial (WLFI), American Bitcoin Corp., and the official TRUMP and MELANIA memecoins.

World Liberty Financial reportedly sold $550 million worth of tokens, generating $390 million for the presidential family, according to the news media outlet’s calculations. In August, the company announced its partnership with Alt5 Sigma and became an investor in the technology firm, which sought to raise $1.5 billion for its crypto treasury strategy based on WLFI.

According to Bloomberg, “the Trumps netted more than $500 million” from the deal. The company also launched its USD1 stablecoin in March, which has grown to more than $3 billion since its debut. Bloomberg estimated that the business could be worth more than $300 million.

Meanwhile, the official TRUMP and MELANIA memecoins, which launched the weekend before President Trump’s second inauguration, generated gains worth roughly $280 million from the family’s holdings and associated proceeds.

In addition, Eric Trump owns about 7.4% of American Bitcoin, worth roughly $114 million despite the company’s shares declining 82% since their September peak. Donald Jr. reportedly owns a smaller, undisclosed amount.

The report also noted that the Trump family’s fortune could be worth billions more on paper, as they still own founder WLFI tokens, worth $3.8 billion at current prices. Nonetheless, these tokens were not included in the calculations as they remain locked.

A recent report from CNBC reveals that Binance’s co-CEO, Richard Teng, is contemplating a return to the US market after exiting in 2023 as part of a regulatory agreement that also resulted in the departure of the exchange’s former CEO, Changpeng Zhao (CZ). 

Ripple CEO Predicts Positive Impact From Binance’s Return

During an interview at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Tuesday, Teng emphasized that Binance is taking a “wait-and-see” stance regarding its reentry into the US, a market he considers “very important.”

In tandem with Teng’s comments, Brad Garlinghouse, Ripple’s CEO, shared his optimistic outlook for the world’s leading exchange comeback in a separate interview with CNBC. 

Garlinghouse remarked that the US market is significant and suggested that Binance had previously been a major player within it. “I think they’ll come back because they’re a capitalistic, innovative company that wants to solve larger market challenges and continue to grow,” he stated.

Not only that, but Garlinghouse also believes that Binance’s entry into the country’s cryptocurrency market could increase competition and ultimately attract more users. He noted: 

I think it will actually have the positive impact of bringing more people into the market, in part because it’ll reduce pricing. Today their pricing is lower on a global basis than what we see here in the U.S.

Teng, Garlinghouse Call For Support Of Key Crypto Bills

The discussion of Binance’s future in the US comes amidst a turbulent regulatory environment for cryptocurrencies. The recent cancellation of the crucial markup for the crypto market structure bill, known as the CLARITY Act, reflects ongoing challenges. 

Teng, a former regulator himself, weighed in on the state of US crypto regulations, asserting that “any regulation will be better than no regulation.” He explained that having regulatory clarity allows companies to navigate the framework effectively. 

“Once you have clarity, you can then start working around those rules,” Teng added, acknowledging that initial regulations may not be perfect but can be refined over time.

This backdrop of regulatory uncertainty is further complicated by recent developments in the industry. The CEO of Coinbase, Brian Armstrong, stepped back from supporting the crypto market structure bill just 24 hours before its markup, leading to its eventual suspension. 

Garlinghouse, who continues to support the bill in its latest form, was surprised by Armstrong’s “vehemence” against the CLARITY Act. He noted that “the rest of the industry, including exchanges that compete with Coinbase, were still supporting it.”

Looking ahead, Garlinghouse is hopeful that industry leaders will find a way to overcome the current impasse. “If we want the industry to continue to grow, we need things like the Genius Act and the Clarity Act,” he affirmed.

At the time of writing, Binance’s native token, Binance Coin (BNB), had dropped to $893.65, marking a 3.7% decline over the previous 24 hours. Ripple’s associated XRP token retraced towards $1.90, suffering even greater losses of 5.5% in the same time frame. 

Featured image from OpenArt, chart from TradingView.com