In the first half of 2025, a booming Bitcoin rally and April’s halving event propelled more than 26,000 wallets into millionaire status. Yet amidst this crypto windfall, former President Trump saw his own digital holdings plunge by a staggering 78%, creating a sharp contrast between the masses and the man once atop the political world.

Between January and June, recorded data from Finbold shows 26,758 Bitcoin wallets surpassed the $1 million mark, boosting the total to 182,327 millionaire wallets globally. Supply constraints triggered by the halving—slashing Bitcoin mining rewards from 6.25 to 3.125 BTC—and broader bullish sentiment drove BTC to a high of $111,970 on May 22, securing massive gains for long-term holders and institutions.

Meanwhile, Trump’s crypto story played out in reverse. Starting 2025 with roughly $10.16 million in digital assets, his portfolio had dwindled to about $2.2 million by June’s end. The majority of this loss occurred in Q1, where his holdings dropped to $1.96 million, and though a modest rebound in Q2 added around $240,000, it could not offset earlier losses.

A Twitter post by analyst John Morgan captured the situation succinctly: “Donald Trump’s crypto portfolio loses 78% of value in first half of 2025.” So what went wrong? A closer examination reveals that Trump’s investments were heavily skewed toward speculative crypto coins—like TROG, which alone comprised over $800,000 of his holdings—along with MAGA (TRUMP), MATIC, and USDC. While Bitcoin and broad-market fundamentals thrived, his assets were tied to volatile tokens with decoupled momentum.

In stark contrast, World Liberty Financial (WLFI)—a DeFi platform linked to the Trump family—surged by 115%, jumping from $72.82 million to $178.15 million in six months. Supported by institutional capital inflows and the momentum from Bitcoin ETF approvals, WLFI’s structured crypto strategy clearly outperformed Trump’s personal bets.

This divergence underscores a key trend emerging in 2025: disciplined, fundamental-driven crypto approaches are yielding results, while speculative, hype-driven crypto investments suffer. As Bitcoin matures, especially in light of its halving and ETF-led flows, the market seems to favor more secure protocols and token ecosystems tied to DeFi, rather than risky altcoins.

Meanwhile, pending regulation adds another layer of complexity. On June 23, Senator Adam Schiff introduced the COIN Act, which would bar government officials and their families from profiting off private crypto investments and require full disclosure of digital asset holdings. Backed by nine Senate Democrats, the bill poses a direct threat to Trump-related projects like WLFI, potentially stymying future expansion or leading to forced asset offloading.

If passed, the COIN Act would represent a significant compliance and transparency shakeup for politically affiliated token holdings. It would signal a broader pivot in U.S. crypto oversight—favoring ethical accountability alongside mainstream institutional involvement from ETFs and established companies.

For President Trump, this cocktail of falling crypto coin prices, WLFI’s regulatory scrutiny, and systemic volatility spells trouble. It illustrates one of the key lessons of 2025: momentum-driven crypto holdings can evaporate just as quickly as they explode, while regulated, utility-based assets build long-term resilience.

Still, outsiders are winning: tens of thousands of new millionaires owe their gains to Bitcoin’s rally. Institutional demand, reduced token supply, and mass adoption have combined to elevate rankings and net worth. In this environment, crypto investors pursuing disciplined strategies—like staking, DeFi, and tokenized real-world assets—are outperforming those chasing speculative hype.

The broader takeaway? As 2025 unfolds, thinking like a strategic investor—not a speculator—is paying off. Whether you’re holding Bitcoin, participating in DeFi, or tracking token positioning around ETF flows, fundamentals matter more than ever. For Trump, it’s a hard lesson learned: crypto fame comes at a steep price if you’re betting on volatility over value.