January 20, 2025, marked a pivotal moment in American history as Donald Trump walked back into the White House, surrounded by an air of uncertainty and optimism. As the crypto-friendly president took office, investors eagerly watched the market’s response to his policies. Three assets in particular caught the attention of investors: Bitcoin, gold, and the TRUMP meme coin.
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Bitcoin, the world’s most popular cryptocurrency, was trading at an all-time high of $109,000 on inauguration day. However, a $10,000 investment in Bitcoin would have only yielded a mere $5,880 six months later, a loss of approximately 41%. The irony was not lost on investors, as Trump’s administration had been expected to support the industry. In fact, Trump signed executive orders supporting the industry, established a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, and pushed through the GENIUS Act for stablecoins.
However, despite these efforts, Bitcoin still lost nearly half its value on his watch. Rising Treasury yields, institutional profit-taking, and selling pressure tied to Strategy’s $14 billion unrealized loss position weighed heavily throughout his term.
On the other hand, gold proved to be the quiet winner of the trio. At $2,697 per ounce on inauguration day, a $10,000 investment would have yielded approximately 3.71 ounces. Six months later, gold trades around $4,110, making that position worth approximately $15,248, a gain of about 52%. The driver behind gold’s performance was the uncertainty and geopolitical tension that Trump’s presidency brought with it. Every time uncertainty spiked, gold climbed, ultimately hitting an all-time high of $5,597 in January 2026 before pulling back.
The TRUMP meme coin, launched two days before inauguration day, peaked at $74.27 within 48 hours. However, by January 20, it had already crashed to around $35. A $10,000 investment in the coin would have yielded approximately 285 coins, worth around $430 six months later, a loss of 96%. The combined losses of nearly one million people who bought the coin total $3.81 billion, while Trump himself cleared more than $635 million from the same token.
The market’s response to Trump’s presidency has been anything but predictable. Six months of the most crypto-friendly administration in American history have yielded a stark contrast between the performance of Bitcoin, gold, and the TRUMP meme coin. Bitcoin down 41%, gold up 52%, and Trump Coin down 96% – the market rarely gives you the story you expect.
