Your support helps us to tell the storySupport NowFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.Your support makes all the difference.President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump’s recently released cryptocurrency meme coins were not warmly received by crypto experts and investors – even those who support Trump.Just days before Trump’s inauguration, the Trumps announced they were releasing “Trump” and “Melania” meme coins – cryptocurrencies with no economic or transactional value often seen as a means of speculation.The announcement was met with mixed reviews from crypto experts who raised concerns that it could further delegitimize the crypto world.“The memecoins cost the US, the presidency and his family a lot of credibility and the consequences haven’t even started,” Gabor Gurbacs, the director of an alternative digital asset firm and a Trump supporter, wrote on X.Trump supporters and crypto investors criticized the president for launching meme coins just days before he took office (Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)Gurbacs called on Trump to “fire” his crypto advisers.Nic Carter, a general partner at a crypto investment firm and Trump supporter, told Politico, “It’s absolutely preposterous that he would do this.”“They’re plumbing new depths of idiocy with the meme coin launch,” Carter said.Cryptocurrency advocates have largely welcomed Trump’s ascent to the White House because Trump has promised to elevate the alternative forms of payment, calling himself the first “crypto president.”But the launch of the Trump meme coin has worried some.One Washington lobbyist told Politico the Trumps’ meme coin launch was “awful” and a “horrible look for the industry”.“This is a horrible look for the industry already trying to make the case that we’re not a bunch of hucksters, scammers and fraudsters,” the unnamed lobbyist said.As some crypto investors raised concerns over Trump’s meme coin delegitimizing the industry, other watchdogs sounded the alarm over potential ethical conflicts.Norm Eisen, a former White House adviser who served on the board of the Citizens for Responsibi
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