Charles Hoskinson Slams Trump Meme Coin For Politicizing Crypto

Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson has criticized Donald Trump’s meme coin and his family’s involvement in cryptocurrencies, saying it politicizes the industry and threatens its credibility in Washington.

Hoskinson said Decryption Trump and his family’s cryptocurrency projects, including Trump Official Token (TRUMP) and World Liberty Financial, have blurred the line between personal interest and politics.

“The moment Trump Coin was launched, it went from ‘cryptocurrency has bipartisan support’ to ‘crypto equals Trump equals bad, equals corruption,’” Hoskinson said. “You don’t do something and then create a regulatory framework. You create the framework and then do that thing in honor of that framework. So I’m not saying don’t launch a Trump coin or global freedom, just launch it in the new framework.”

He warned that Trump’s involvement has disrupted markets and could be used as a weapon in the 2026 midterm elections, while saying most in the cryptocurrency industry are afraid to speak out on the issue for fear of losing access to policymakers.

He said: We were told: Remain silent about this. “Don’t say anything, because you’ll lose access. You can never meet the president, you can’t participate in the legislative process or any of that stuff.”

Trump’s official currency exploded after the initial rally

Trump launched the official Trump Coin (TRUMP) ahead of his inauguration in January. It exploded at launch but then collapsed and is now down over 82%.

Trump Price (Source: Queen Gekko)

“As a private citizen, he has every right to do these things, but he has to understand that he is not separate from the optics of the decisions he makes,” Hoskinson said. “You just created a massive market disruption, and you’ll likely be recalled when the Democrats are back in power.”

Trump pledged to make the United States the “cryptocurrency capital of the world” during his election campaign, and he seems determined to fulfill this promise since entering the White House, launching a large number of pro-cryptocurrency policies.

He signed an executive order to create the US Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, created a White House Digital Assets Working Group tasked with coordinating regulatory agencies to help achieve his vision of making the US a crypto hub, and signed the GENIUS Act into law in July, creating regulatory clarity for stablecoins.

Democrats criticize Trump family’s involvement in cryptocurrencies

Trump has already faced criticism from Democratic lawmakers, who have repeatedly expressed concerns about a potential conflict of interest.

When Trump hosted a lavish dinner for major Trump coin holders, Senator Elizabeth Warren described the event as an “orgy of corruption,” warning that the public had no idea who was buying influence with the president or what they might get in return.

Reminder: Trump is pushing for cryptocurrency legislation to keep his money private.

President Bush’s former ethics lawyer says we haven’t had a president since the Civil War with such a conflict of interest.

We should not pass any cryptocurrency legislation without closing it. pic.twitter.com/GIIv9UapZc

-Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) July 10, 2025

Guests at the event included Justin Sun, founder of TRON, the largest known holder of the TRUMP token at the time, Magic Eden CEO Jack Lu, and BitMart CEO Sheldon Shea.

They were served upscale dishes such as filet mignon and molten lava cake, and were given $100,000 Trump-branded watches, raising concerns about potential political patronage and pay-for-access.

Protesters gathered at Trump National Golf Club to denounce the event, carrying signs reading “America is not for sale” and “Stop crypto corruption.”

Despite the risk of repercussions for speaking out against Trump’s involvement in cryptocurrencies, Hoskinson said he does not regret his decision to come forward.

“Even if I can influence policy a little bit, it’s not worth it from an integrity standpoint,” he said. “Just call a spade a spade.”

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