A Reuters probe reveals how Trump family-backed crypto projects generated massive revenue, while many retail investors suffered steep losses. The findings raise ethical and regulatory questions.

In January 2025, a crypto rush swept the world, and Donald J. Trump was preparing to return to the White House. It was then that Fatime Elrgdawy, a friend, told about an online message from the elected president that stoked interest in launching her own cryptocurrency – “GET YOUR $TRUMP NOW” – and she thought, “Oh my God, this is brilliant.”

Oh my God, this is brilliant.

– Fatime Elrgdawy

The 29-year-old software developer from Santa Barbara spent $2,000 of her savings on the meme coin $TRUMP – a purely speculative…