As Donald Trump prepares to return to the White House, he has given one more reason for arguably his most ardent support base, the cryptocurrency community, to “have fun”.
The US president-elect on Friday apparently launched a memecoin, which rocketed in value within an hour and has only gone up since. The emergence and sudden rise of the Official Trump token, or $TRUMP, however, raised some questions.
What is a memecoin?
A memecoin is a cryptocurrency that is, by default, not intended to be taken seriously. Coinbase describes them as inspired by internet memes or trends, “typically supported by enthusiastic online communities … generally intended to be light-hearted and fun”.
And that is where the trouble lies: memecoins are typically characterised by their volatile tendencies. But, despite their inherent risk, memecoins have grabbed attention because of their potential for high returns and their “role in digital culture”, Coinbase said.
The most famous memecoin is Dogecoin, the token whose logo resembles a Japanese shiba inu and which was made famous by Tesla chief executive and Trump lieutenant Elon Musk.
There are more than 3,700 memecoins, according to CoinMarketCap – with some amusing names. Among the top performing memecoins are HarryPotterObamaSonic10Inu, Cat Girl, Jesus Coin, Pooh, Doge Eat Doge, Elon, Super Trump Coin and Maga, whose unit is “Trump”.
Then, of course, there's Official Trump.
Why were there sceptics?
The latest memecoin to stir interest in the crypto world was a relatively unknown token until Mr Trump posted a message promoting it on X and his Truth Social platform.
Some sceptics on social media alleged the post was the result of a hack, but no evidence to support that was found, and neither Mr Trump nor his team refuted the posts.
Additionally, the company behind the site advertising the $TRUMP token, CIC Digital, was also behind Mr Trump's previous non-fungible token offerings, according to crypto news site Coinage. It seems $TRUMP is legit and continues to generate a buzz.
Is its market cap for real?
News that the market capitalisation of $TRUMP was soaring quickly made the rounds, spiking to $1 billion in minutes, to $4 billion and $7 billion within a few hours. At one point it was reported to have crossed the $20 billion mark.
However, there is context to this, as there are two different market cap values in play here. A total of one billion $TRUMP tokens will eventually be launched, but, initially, only 200 million were put into circulation.
That amount of tokens, with the value of the memecoin at $22.09 as of 3pm UAE time, officially gives $TRUMP a market cap of about $4.46 billion, according to data from CoinMarketCap.
If we take into consideration its fully diluted value, or its value if the maximum supply – in this case, one billion – is in circulation, then $TRUMP's market cap would be more than $22 billion.
Will the hype be sustainable?
That remains to be seen – although as far as trends and optimism go, cryptocurrencies seem to be poised for a good run under the Trump administration.
Mr Trump was once a crypto sceptic. In his first term, he derided Bitcoin and its peers as “not money”, “based on thin air” and something that “can facilitate unlawful behaviour, including drug trade and other illegal activity”, and even called it a “scam” after he left office.
The turning point was when Mr Trump began selling non-fungible tokens depicting himself as a superhero in December 2022, a month after he declared his intention to run for president again. He raised $8.9 million in the process, which apparently proved to him that crypto can be beneficial. It may have also helped that the vice president-elect, Ohio Senator JD Vance, has been known to hold Bitcoin since 2021.
And Mr Musk, the world's wealthiest person, also has interests in cryptos and is part of Mr Trump's key picks that speak highly of them. They also include Scott Bessent (Treasury), Paul Atkins (Securities and Exchange Commission) and Howard Lutnick (Commerce).
Not to forget, Mr Trump's son Eric said at the Bitcoin Mena conference in Abu Dhabi last month that Bitcoin – sitting well above $100,000 – will hit $1 million and the administration “will fight like hell” to keep the crypto train chugging along.
How Voiss turns words to speech
The device has a screen reader or software that monitors what happens on the screen
The screen reader sends the text to the speech synthesiser
This converts to audio whatever it receives from screen reader, so the person can hear what is happening on the screen
A VOISS computer costs between $200 and $250 depending on memory card capacity that ranges from 32GB to 128GB
The speech synthesisers VOISS develops are free
Subsequent computer versions will include improvements such as wireless keyboards
Arabic voice in affordable talking computer to be added next year to English, Portuguese, and Spanish synthesiser
Partnerships planned during Expo 2020 Dubai to add more languages
At least 2.2 billion people globally have a vision impairment or blindness
More than 90 per cent live in developing countries
The Long-term aim of VOISS to reach the technology to people in poor countries with workshops that teach them to build their own device
The five pillars of Islam
Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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Three-day coronation
Royal purification
The entire coronation ceremony extends over three days from May 4-6, but Saturday is the one to watch. At the time of 10:09am the royal purification ceremony begins. Wearing a white robe, the king will enter a pavilion at the Grand Palace, where he will be doused in sacred water from five rivers and four ponds in Thailand. In the distant past water was collected from specific rivers in India, reflecting the influential blend of Hindu and Buddhist cosmology on the coronation. Hindu Brahmins and the country's most senior Buddhist monks will be present. Coronation practices can be traced back thousands of years to ancient India.
The crown
Not long after royal purification rites, the king proceeds to the Baisal Daksin Throne Hall where he receives sacred water from eight directions. Symbolically that means he has received legitimacy from all directions of the kingdom. He ascends the Bhadrapitha Throne, where in regal robes he sits under a Nine-Tiered Umbrella of State. Brahmins will hand the monarch the royal regalia, including a wooden sceptre inlaid with gold, a precious stone-encrusted sword believed to have been found in a lake in northern Cambodia, slippers, and a whisk made from yak's hair.
The Great Crown of Victory is the centrepiece. Tiered, gold and weighing 7.3 kilograms, it has a diamond from India at the top. Vajiralongkorn will personally place the crown on his own head and then issues his first royal command.
The audience
On Saturday afternoon, the newly-crowned king is set to grant a "grand audience" to members of the royal family, the privy council, the cabinet and senior officials. Two hours later the king will visit the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, the most sacred space in Thailand, which on normal days is thronged with tourists. He then symbolically moves into the Royal Residence.
The procession
The main element of Sunday's ceremonies, streets across Bangkok's historic heart have been blocked off in preparation for this moment. The king will sit on a royal palanquin carried by soldiers dressed in colourful traditional garb. A 21-gun salute will start the procession. Some 200,000 people are expected to line the seven-kilometre route around the city.
Meet the people
On the last day of the ceremony Rama X will appear on the balcony of Suddhaisavarya Prasad Hall in the Grand Palace at 4:30pm "to receive the good wishes of the people". An hour later, diplomats will be given an audience at the Grand Palace. This is the only time during the ceremony that representatives of foreign governments will greet the king.
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11 cabbie-recommended restaurants and dishes to try in Abu Dhabi
Iqbal Restaurant behind Wendy’s on Hamdan Street for the chicken karahi (Dh14)
Pathemari in Navy Gate for prawn biryani (from Dh12 to Dh35)
Abu Al Nasar near Abu Dhabi Mall, for biryani (from Dh12 to Dh20)
Bonna Annee at Navy Gate for Ethiopian food (the Bonna Annee special costs Dh42 and comes with a mix of six house stews – key wet, minchet abesh, kekel, meser be sega, tibs fir fir and shiro).
Al Habasha in Tanker Mai for Ethiopian food (tibs, a hearty stew with meat, is a popular dish; here it costs Dh36.75 for lamb and beef versions)
Himalayan Restaurant in Mussaffa for Nepalese (the momos and chowmein noodles are best-selling items, and go for between Dh14 and Dh20)
Makalu in Mussaffa for Nepalese (get the chicken curry or chicken fry for Dh11)
Al Shaheen Cafeteria near Guardian Towers for a quick morning bite, especially the egg sandwich in paratha (Dh3.50)
Pinky Food Restaurant in Tanker Mai for tilapia
Tasty Zone for Nepalese-style noodles (Dh15)
Ibrahimi for Pakistani food (a quarter chicken tikka with roti costs Dh16)
The biog
Favourite films: Casablanca and Lawrence of Arabia
Favourite books: Start with Why by Simon Sinek and Good to be Great by Jim Collins
Favourite dish: Grilled fish
Inspiration: Sheikh Zayed's visionary leadership taught me to embrace new challenges.
DUBAI%20BLING%3A%20EPISODE%201
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECreator%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENetflix%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EKris%20Fade%2C%20Ebraheem%20Al%20Samadi%2C%20Zeina%20Khoury%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FINAL RECKONING
Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Starring: Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg
Rating: 4/5
