Report: Nearly 80% of Crypto Investors Bought President-endorsed Memecoins

Memecoins have always been a speculative yet entertaining corner of the crypto market. However, a new wave of president-endorsed memecoins - TRUMP (memecoin of President Trump), CAR (memecoin from the President of the Central African Republic), and LIBRA (memecoin from the President of Argentina) - has taken the industry by storm. ChainPlay collaborated with Storible to conduct a study on the impacts of these memecoins on the crypto market, plus the PnL of these memecoin investors.

Key Findings

• TRUMP and LIBRA investors bear a loss of over $3.94B.
• Three-quarters of LIBRA investors are losing money.
• Nearly 80% of crypto investors bought president-endorsed memecoins.
• 37% of president memecoin investors are first-time crypto buyers, with 21% quitting crypto afterward due to these coins.
• Two-thirds of president-endorsed memecoin investors are losing money.

Methodology

We surveyed 1,066 crypto investors on Prolific (a well-known survey platform) about their president-endorsed purchases.

To calculate profits and losses (PnL), we analyzed data from Dune Analytics and verified it with Nansen for accuracy.

The data was collected on February 19, 2025.

President-Endorsed Memecoins: A Gateway to Crypto or An Exit?

78% of crypto investors bought president-endorsed memecoins, but for many, it was a costly introduction to the market:

37% of investors in these presidential-themed memecoins were first-time buyers. The allure of political relevance, combined with viral marketing, has made these assets an entry point for many new traders. However, not all of them stayed, as 21% of these first-time investors quit crypto altogether after their experience with these coins.

This suggests that, rather than fostering long-term engagement in the market, these memecoins have led to significant disillusionment. The high volatility, rapid pump-and-dump cycles, and lack of sustainable value may have turned many newcomers away.

PnL of President Memecoin Investors

The reality of memecoin investments is stark: Two-thirds of president memecoin investors are losing money. Below is a breakdown of profitability among investors in each of these tokens.

PnL Breakdown of TRUMP Memecoin Investors

• 52% of TRUMP investors are at a loss.
• TRUMP investors bear a loss of $3.6B.
• Nearly 545K TRUMP investors lost up to 10K.
• 287 TRUMP investors lost over $1M.

PnL Breakdown of LIBRA Memecoin Investors

• LIBRA investors bear a loss of $292M.
• 75% of LIBRA investors are at a loss, making it the worst-performing among the three.
• Over 101K investors lost up to 10K.
• 26 LIBRA investors lost over 1M while 36 investors made over 1M.

PnL Breakdown of CAR Memecoin Investors

• 66% of CAR investors are at a loss.
• The majority (61%) lost between -1K and 0.
• Only 0.07% made over $100K.

The Larger Implications

The findings highlight a fundamental issue with politically driven memecoins: they function more as speculative bubbles than sustainable investments. The initial hype often leads to massive price spikes, only to be followed by sharp declines, leaving the majority of holders in losses.

Moreover, their role as an introduction to crypto is a double-edged sword. While they bring new investors into the ecosystem, their high-risk nature has pushed a significant portion of first-time buyers away from crypto entirely. This is an alarming trend, as widespread negative experiences could slow down broader adoption and trust in digital assets.

Conclusion

Memecoins tied to political figures have demonstrated their ability to attract mass participation, but they also expose the speculative nature of the market. The data clearly shows that most investors have lost money, with a significant percentage leaving crypto altogether. Whether these tokens will continue to thrive as speculative vehicles or fade into irrelevance remains to be seen. For now, they stand as a cautionary tale for investors seeking quick, easy gains in a volatile market.