The creators of the TRUMP meme coin have moved over $52 million worth of tokens to centralized exchanges, sparking debate

The token, themed after US President Donald Trump, has gained massive attention since its launch, but now faces scrutiny over insider activity and market impact.

The creators of the TRUMP meme coin have moved over $52 million worth of tokens to centralized exchanges, sparking debate about the project's motives and transparency.

The token, themed after US President Donald Trump, has gained massive attention since its launch, but now faces scrutiny over insider activity and market impact.

TRUMP Token Team Describes $52 Million Transfer as ‘Liquidity Operations’

On May 10, on-chain analytics platform Lookonchain revealed that the team behind TRUMP deposited 3.5 million tokens, valued at more than $52 million, across three major exchanges—Binance, OKX, and Bybit.

According to the firm, Binance received the largest share at 1.5 million tokens, estimated at $22 million. OKX followed with 1 million tokens worth $15 million, while Bybit received just over 500,000 tokens valued at $7.5 million.

However, the TRUMP token team claimed the transfer aimed to strengthen liquidity and maintain stable market access.

They explained that the tokens came from a pre-designated liquidity wallet created during the project's launch. The team also assured users that all recently unlocked tokens had been relocked and would remain so for 90 days.

"Demand for $TRUMP has been tremendous. On May 10, 2025 at approximately 1:30 am UTC, 3.5 million $TRUMP will be moved onto exchanges to further support liquidity operations to help ensure continued availability of $TRUMP for both buyers and sellers. All of this liquidity is being provided from a liquidity wallet from the initial launch," the team stated.

Gap Between Investor Outcomes Highlights Potential Insider Profits

While the team maintains that the token transfers are part of routine liquidity management, recent findings suggest a different story.

A CNBC report, citing Chainalysis, revealed that the team behind TRUMP has earned over $320 million in trading fees.

Furthermore, there is a wide gap between investor outcomes. Of more than two million wallets holding TRUMP, roughly 760,000 are currently at a loss.

In sharp contrast, only 58 wallets have each made over $10 million, together netting about $1.1 billion in profits.

This stark imbalance suggests that a small group of insiders may have captured most of the value generated by the token.

Essentially, the project's close association with Trump, combined with uneven returns and insider profits, continues to cast doubt on its fairness and long-term viability.

According to BeInCrypto data, the token surged to $77 on its first trading day. However, it has since plummeted by 86%, trading near $14 at the time of writing.