Trump Opened the Era of Meme Coins For retail investors, financial markets have always been about chasing memes. Following trends is nothing new—it’s just how they’ve always operated. Even the decades-long mantra of “invest in the S&P 500” that many followed for their pensions can be seen as a form of meme investing. With the rise of the internet and social media, ideas now spread faster and further than ever before. Platforms like Robinhood and crypto exchanges opened the door to an era of active retail investing. Instead of parking their money in banks or index funds, people now take a more hands-on approach. But most investors have day jobs and lack expertise, so they follow trends. They listen to influencers, take cues from what others are doing, and even idolize entrepreneurs. Investing in Tesla because of Elon Musk is not so different from populism in politics. Retail investors create volatility in the market, and institutional players capitalize on it to profit. It’s unlikely retail investors will suddenly get smarter about investing, and without government regulations, the herding behavior around trendy keywords won’t stop. In fact, the Trump administration seems less interested in regulating this phenomenon and more inclined to take advantage of it. Their approach is simple: “If it's inevitable, use them.” That’s why Trump launched his own coin, acting like a black hole pulling in speculative liquidity from retail crypto investors across the globe. As long as a meme has enough mindshare, meme coins can take on countless forms in the future. The possibilities are practically endless. Celebrity coins, like Trump’s, are just one example. The underlying reality of financial markets behaving like memes isn’t going away, so it’s worth considering how to make the most of it. With its decentralized nature, crypto is a fully global, unrestricted market, meaning even more meme-like assets will inevitably emerge. What gives Trump’s meme coin its value? Unlike traditional securities, which pool investments for productive activities, celebrity meme coins don’t directly create value. Instead, Trump is likely to use his coin holders as a powerful community base for collective action. If you’re thinking about investing in Trump Coin, the key question is how much influence his community will gain during his presidency. The coin’s value depends entirely on what Trump does. With his fervent fan base, it’s unlikely Trump’s meme coin will ever go to zero—unless he deliberately pulls the rug. If a celebrity coin issuer avoids rug-pulling and takes responsibility for their sales, it’s not as harmful as you might think. Even Bitcoin had its fair share of pyramid scheme promoters in the early days, selling to elderly investors. Now, with its massive price rise, those same scammers started being called “visionaries.” In the end, a meme coin’s value depends on whether its community acts in ways that benefit society. A community with goodwill could turn a meme coin into a valuable asset. But on the flip side, it would be terrifying if a cult or terrorist group used a meme coin to build a massive following. The decentralized crypto market will remain a global financial commons, where retail investors form communities and engage in collective meme investing. The Trump administration has embraced free markets instead of regulated markets, and over the next four years, we’re likely to see all kinds of experiments with meme-driven communities in the crypto space. This wave is unstoppable—at least until 2028. Like it or not, let's just admit it and prepare for the next wave.