US President Donald Trump namesake meme coins have collapsed, leaving many small holders deep in the red. Prices that once drew crowds and headlines have fallen back to earth with blunt force. Related Reading: XRP Flashes Rare On-Chain Signal That Once Preceded 114% Gains Reports say the two tokens tied to the Trump brand – TRUMP and MELANIA coins – plunged from their highs by roughly 92% and nearly 99%, and an estimated $4.3 billion of retail money evaporated in the rout. Trump Meme Coins: Rapid Collapse According to on-chain trackers and market reports, a small set of early wallets captured large gains before prices nosedived. Trades and transfers show that insiders moved sizable amounts into stable assets while later buyers were left holding tokens as liquidity thinned. Some analysts point to token design and one-sided liquidity moves as the technical side that made fast exits possible for those close to launch. HUGE: The $TRUMP and $MELANIA memecoin carnage is even worse than we thought. A new report from CryptoRank reveals retail investors have lost a staggering $4.3 BILLION as these assets collapsed 90%+ from their highs. The math is disgusting: => Retail: -$4.3 Billion (2M+… pic.twitter.com/AXVcjjuMsE — Zach Humphries (@ZachHumphries) February 22, 2026 Design Flaws And Early Wins Reports note that token rules and the way liquidity was set up created a structural advantage for early participants. When supply was unlocked, selling pressure mounted. Locked allocations that only release over time add another layer: future unlocks could push prices down further as those tokens hit the market. On paper, the launches had flashy names and big promises; in practice, many of the mechanics reportedly favored a handful of insiders. Trump Memecoins: How Insiders Pocketed Millions While Retail Investors Lost Billions The official $TRUMP and $MELANIA tokens have collapsed 92% and 99% from their all-time highs, respectively, and the damage to retail investors has been staggering. While insiders cashed out over… pic.twitter.com/qyWswzRgFv — CryptoRank.io (@CryptoRank_io) February 20, 2026 Market Reaction And Legal Questions Based on reports from multiple crypto outlets, voices across the space are calling for closer scrutiny. Regulators in several countries have been asked to look at whether marketing and token economics misled ordinary buyers. Commentators argue that when projects linked to public figures move that much money, the mix of celebrity influence and speculative appetite becomes especially risky. Community And Social Fallout Social channels lit up as losses mounted. Some communities turned on the teams behind the tokens, accusing them of running plans that rewarded early actors. Others defended buyers, saying responsibility sits with anyone who chose to put money into volatile, hype-driven assets. Either way, trust in celebrity-branded tokens took a hit. Related Reading: Instant XRP Rewards: Japan-Based Financial Group Rolls Out Tokenized Bonds Reports say market makers and some exchanges are reacting by tightening listings and flagging projects with similar tokenomics. A number of wallets flagged as insiders still hold tokens that could be sold later, and that possibility keeps pressure on price. At the same time, some traders are scanning on-chain flows, hunting for bounce opportunities among the wreckage. Featured image from Gemini, chart from TradingView
