Executive Summary
The Story So Far
Why This Matters
Who Thinks What?
American Bitcoin, a crypto mining company backed by President Donald Trump’s sons Eric and Donald Trump Jr., concluded its tumultuous Nasdaq debut on Wednesday with a gain of over 16%. The company’s shares experienced significant volatility throughout the day, including multiple trading halts, before closing at a higher valuation, reportedly adding millions to the family’s wealth.
The company, which went public following a merger with existing Bitcoin mining firm Gryphon Digital Mining (GRYP), saw its shares, trading as ABTC, surge by 91% in early trading from Gryphon’s Tuesday closing price of $6.90 to reach $13.20. However, this initial spike was followed by a sharp decline, with shares falling by half to an afternoon low of $6.72. Nasdaq regulators halted trading of American Bitcoin shares five times due to this extreme volatility.
Despite the turbulent session, American Bitcoin ultimately closed up 16.52% at just over $8, and continued to climb by over 5% in after-hours trading to $8.45. This public listing marks the latest addition to the Trump family’s expanding crypto portfolio, aligning with a broader trend of companies entering the digital asset sector.
Eric Trump, co-founder and strategy chief of American Bitcoin, described the public launch to Bloomberg as “an unbelievable day and a lot of hard work that’s finally come to fruition.” He stated he ventured into the business after years of owning Bitcoin and observing its global adoption, adding that “the floodgates are just starting to open, so it’s kind of a perfect time.”
Addressing concerns about potentially profiting from his father’s crypto-friendly policies, Eric Trump dismissed the criticism as “totally illegitimate.” He claimed his entry into the business was spurred by being “illegitimately debanked from every financial platform in the country,” asserting that President Trump “has nothing to do with this business.” While Eric Trump suggested President Trump has “always been a proponent” of cryptocurrency, President Trump has previously expressed skepticism, referring to cryptocurrencies as “based on thin air” and Bitcoin as seeming “like a scam.”
American Bitcoin’s Strategy and Holdings
Eric Trump outlined the firm’s strategy to both mine and purchase Bitcoin, adapting its approach based on market conditions to maximize shareholder value. He emphasized the company’s intent to “harness” the daily mining of Bitcoin “to the absolute fullest,” while also maintaining flexibility to buy Bitcoin and hold it in its treasury.
The company currently holds 2,443 BTC, positioning it as the 25th-largest holder among public companies. With Bitcoin trading around $111,850, this stash is valued at approximately $273 million.
Expanding Trump Family Crypto Ventures
American Bitcoin’s Nasdaq debut follows another significant crypto venture for the Trump family this week. Tokens for their World Liberty Financial (WLFI) project were listed on crypto exchanges for the first time on Monday.
The listing unlocked roughly a quarter of WLFI’s total supply of 100 billion tokens, allowing early investors to sell. Since its debut, WLFI has experienced a decline of 30% from its initial price and continued to fall by over 7% in the last 24 hours to just over 21 cents, according to CoinGecko data. President Trump and his sons, Eric, Donald Jr., and Baron Trump, are all associated with the project, and a company linked to them receives most of the revenue generated. This same company also holds nearly a quarter of all WLFI, an amount valued at close to $4.8 billion. Bloomberg estimates Eric Trump’s stake in American Bitcoin alone to be worth approximately $548 million.
The successful Nasdaq listing of American Bitcoin underscores the Trump family’s increasing involvement in the cryptocurrency sector, following closely on the heels of another digital asset venture. Despite market volatility and past criticisms, the company’s debut highlights the growing intersection of traditional finance and the digital asset space, as well as the family’s expanding financial interests within it.
