The memecoin sector is full of joke tokens offering little intrinsic value and lots of volatility, feeding criticism of the nascent industry as frivolous and risky.

Days ahead of Trump's inauguration as President of the United States, scheduled for Monday, Jan. 20, Trump launched the $TRUMP memecoin on crypto platform Solana. The President-elect posted the news from his official X account, making it as official as can be.

Memecoins have long traded in crypto markets, with Dogecoin perhaps the best-known example. Launched as a joke, the crypto has exploded in popularity over the years, with its price often riding on the whims of its backers — the best known of which is Elon Musk.