Winning the White House was supposed to transform the crypto sector, but for much of 2025, that promise has fallen flat. While Donald Trump’s return sparked surges early in the year, including brief all-time highs across major tokens, prices have largely sagged. Blame (partially) fading hype and investor fears generalized across markets.
Bitcoin soared past $100,000, climbing more than 5% over the past seven days to nearly $103,000 as of Friday. Ether jumped 25% to $2,300, while Solana surged 13% to $169. XRP and BNB also posted solid gains.
The rally was fueled in part by broader, growing optimism: the Fed held rates steady, earnings season steadied Wall Street sentiment, and Trump announced a tentative first trade deal. Crypto, once again, rose alongside stocks.
But the real story might be Ethereum’s resurgence. ETH recorded double-digit gains in just 24 hours midweek, as investors reacted to a mix of news including reports of large institutional inflows.
In Washington, scrutiny is growing over the so-called “Trump Coin,” a meme token linked to foreign buyers and potential campaign finance violations, as reported by Bloomberg:
“Buyers of the Trump token, a cryptocurrency the president began marketing days before his inauguration, drove sales higher in the past two weeks after its issuers announced an unprecedented promotion: More than 200 of the memecoin’s largest holders would be invited to attend a May 22 dinner with Trump at his Virginia golf club, while the top 25 would qualify for an exclusive reception beforehand and what the memecoin’s website describes as a “VIP” tour.”
Even by meme-coin standards, tying ownership to private access to the U.S. President smacks of something smellier than usual, begging the question: What kind of players seek access in such a way and why?
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