A remarkable move into the NFT space was the Trump NFT (Non-Fungible Token) serial launch. Last December, Trump made public that he would be selling a series of crypto trading cards with his photo on the cards. It was the Ethereum blockchain where these NFTs were bought and the collection was finished and it was attractive enough to reach the press. This surprise announcement showed that Trump’s response to the digital asset landscape changed. He was now willing to consider blockchain capabilities and their commercial applications.
According to the financial disclosure released last month, Donald Trump has a US$250,000 to US$500,000 cryptocurrency wallet. He listed the asset on Trump’s disclosure as “cryptocurrency wallet (Ethereum),” which seems likely connected to a variety of NFTs that he tried to sell after quitting as President.
In December 2022, he stated that he would be releasing a “limited edition collection” of 44,000 NFTs that are animated card figures representing Trump in many ways such as hunters’ camouflage, welders’ suits, and superhero costumes. The US$99 cards sold off in just one day. Trump and his partner, a company named NFT INC LLC, then released a second batch in April. It also sold out.
The sales have amounted to more than US$8.9 million. The reformer president enriched himself through the venture getting US$298,000 as the licensing fees according to the disclosure. His wallet is held under the same Trump entity through which he collected his licensing fees, the CIC Digital.
Donald Trump has more than a few hundred thousand dollars in exchange for punching his pockets, a man who is now worth around US$2.5 billion. But the real estate tycoon is not above making just a little profit, even if he has to sell a product he doesn’t like. “I am not a fan of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, which are not money, and whose value is highly volatile and based on thin air,” he said in April 2019. “Unregulated crypto assets can be used to cover up illegal activities including drug smuggling and counterfeit merchandise.”
