Bitcoin Pepe raises $4M as Trump-linked memecoin rakes in $350M for creators

• Bitcoin Pepe aims for Meme Layer-2 on Bitcoin with PEP-20.
• TRUMP memecoin earned $350M for its creators, with 80% owned by Trump affiliates.
• Regulatory push grows as memecoins spark profit and manipulation concerns.

The cryptocurrency world is buzzing with the rise of memecoins tied to high-profile figures and innovative concepts. Among the currently trending memecoins are Official Trump (TRUMP), themed after President Donald Trump, and Bitcoin Pepe (BPEP), which brings memecoins to Bitcoin blockchain.

Bitcoin Pepe has raised over $4 million in its ongoing presale, the “World’s Only Bitcoin Meme ICO,” while a Financial Times report shows that the Official Trump (TRUMP) memecoin, has reportedly generated a staggering $350 million for its creators.

Bitcoin Pepe seeks to build a meme empire on Bitcoin

Amid the memecoin frenzy, Bitcoin Pepe is carving its own niche, raising $4,029,822 in its ongoing presale. Dubbed a “Solana on Bitcoin,” this project aims to create a Meme Layer-2 for Bitcoin, boasting instant transactions and ultra-low fees via its PEP-20 token standard.

Currently in its sixth presale stage out of thirty presale stages, the Bitcoin Pepe (BPEP) token is its going for $0.0268 and it is set to rise to $0.0281 in the next phase.

Post-presale Bitcoin Pepe’s vision is ambitious: enabling memecoin creation on Bitcoin, which it calls “the only chain that will live forever.” Its whitepaper, roadmap, and team details are accessible on its site, alongside a SolidProof audit for credibility.

Bitcoin Pepe’s appeal lies in its simplicity and promise. The project’s branding—replete with giveaways and a “Watch Bitcoin Pepe’s Birth” video—taps into meme culture while leveraging Bitcoin’s enduring reputation, setting it apart from flash-in-the-pan tokens.

As Trump’s memecoin saga unfolds with regulatory clouds looming, Bitcoin Pepe offers a grassroots counterpoint.

Official Trump (TRUMP) has raked in millions

The TRUMP memecoin, launched just days before Donald Trump’s White House return on January 20, 2025, has become a financial juggernaut.

According to the Financial Times report dated March 7, entities behind the token—tied to The Trump Organization’s CIC Digital and Fight Fight Fight LLC—earned at least $314 million from token sales and $36 million in fees on the Solana blockchain. Together, these groups hold 80% of the 1 billion minted TRUMP tokens, though Trump’s personal profit remains undisclosed.

The project kicked off with 200 million tokens released initially, with the remaining 800 million slated for distribution over three years. Early sales saw 100 million tokens offloaded for under $1.05 each, but prices soared to a peak of $75 by January 19.

However, the launch of Melania Trump’s MELANIA memecoin triggered an 82% price drop, prompting Trump-linked accounts to spend $1 million stabilizing the market by buying tokens at $33.20.

Analysts suggest that market manipulation may be at play. The Financial Times tracked $291 million in USDC reinvested into liquidity pools to prop up TRUMP’s value, alongside 14.7 million tokens sent to exchanges like Binance and Coinbase.

Despite the crash, the 831 million tokens still held by Trump affiliates carry a notional value of $10.8 billion, underscoring the memecoin’s outsized impact.

The phenomenon has sparked regulatory scrutiny with Representative Sam Liccardo proposing banning officials from such ventures, while New York Assembly member Clyde Vanel introduced a bill on March 5 to penalize memecoin rug pulls.

Yet, with the SEC deeming memecoins outside securities laws, oversight remains murky, leaving investors vulnerable amid the hype of 700 copycat tokens.