Former President Donald Trump shocked the cryptocurrency world when he announced the launch of a non-fungible token collection in December 2022.
The first collection would be followed by two subsequent collections.
Here's a look back and an estimation of the return investors and collectors could have made if they bought the NFTs at launch.
What Happened: Trump announced the launch of an NFT collection called Trump Digital Trading Cards on Dec. 15, 2022. The NFTs came at a price point of $99 each and could be purchased with Ethereum ETH/USD or a credit card.
The collection, which was minted on the Polygon MATIC/USD network, sold out in less than a day and became a top trending collection on NFT marketplace OpenSea.
In April 2023, Trump shared on social media that a second series of Trump Digital Trading Cards was launching, again with a price point of $99.
The first two collections had 45,000 and 47,000 NFTs, respectively, references to being the 45th president of the U.S. and running to become the 47th president in the 2024 election.
On Dec. 12, 2023, Trump announced the launch of a third edition of NFTs titled "The MugShot Edition." The announcement came nearly one year after the first collection was launched.
The third collection includes physical versions of the cards for the first time, with every person who buys 47 digital cards getting a physical card that includes a piece of the suit Trump wore in the viral mug shot photo from his arrest in Georgia in 2023.
Similar to the first NFT collection, people who buy a certain number of NFTs in the third collection also get invited to a dinner gala with the former president at the Mar-a-Lago resort. The third collection also has a price point of $99 each.
The third collection has 100,000 NFTs and can not be resold until Dec. 31, 2024. At the time of writing, OpenSea data shows 50,652 NFTs in the MugShot Edition collection minted, up from 47,479 in January.
The first collection of Trump NFTs were mocked by the likes of President Joe Biden, a late-night talk show host and "Saturday Night Live," but they have gained value and are trading well ahead of their mint price over a year later.
The collection has been volatile around many Trump events, including indictments, arrests, court appearances and other candidates dropping out of the 2024 election.
Another Trump-related asset has also been volatile around the events of the former president. Digital World Acquisition Corp DWAC, which is set to merge with Trump Media & Technology Group, has seen shares soar over 200% in the past year.
Investors could be using Digital World shares and the Trump NFTs as ways to bet on the former president returning to the White House and fans eager to scoop up items related to him.
Related Link: Trump NFTs To Get Bitcoin Ordinals Treatment: How You Can Own One
Investing $1,000 in Trump NFTs: With a price point of $99, a person could have purchased 10 Trump Digital Trading Cards at the time of mint with $1,000.
Based on a current floor price of 0.25 ETH, or around $744.57, the investment would be worth $7,445.70 today. This represents a return of 644.6% over the past 14 months.
While the NFTs have fallen from a peak of around 0.84 ETH, the investment is still up. Investors who cashed out early saw gains of around 1,000%.
For comparison, the same $1,000 invested in the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust SPY, which tracks the S&P 500 Index, would be worth $1,256.73 today. This represents a hypothetical return of 25.7% over the same time period, significantly trailing the return from the Trump NFTs.
The Trump Digital Trading Cards Series 2 has not held up as well since launching in April 2023. The floor price on the second series is currently 0.0345 ETH, or around $102.75. Investors who minted the second series would be up around 3% on their investment.
Time will tell if the NFTs hold their value, but 14 months after being minted the collection has held above the mint price and has seen continued demand from fans, collectors and investors. With Trump running for president in the 2024 election, the NFTs could continue to be talked about during the campaign trail.
Photos: Trump NFTs on OpenSea
© 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
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