Just days ahead of his return to the White House, President Trump and his wife, Melania, launched a pair of meme coins that have skyrocketed in value and earned them billions of dollars, at least on paper.

President Donald Trump promised crypto investors he’d usher in an era of legitimacy for an industry that’s long been relegated to the financial wilderness — dismissed by some mainstream investors as an highly speculative bet at best or an elaborate Ponzi scheme at worst.

It's one thing for the new President to support the blockchain industry, but veterans aren't so crazy about him joining their ranks. Why it matters: The president-elect nominally making $50 billion on a crypto asset that didn't exist a day prior speaks to the industry's power — but there's growing debate within the community about a stain on crypto's burgeoning credibility.