Donald Trumpketahuan Jual Ethereum Senilai Rp37 Miliar Dari Hasil Jualan NFT

Former US president Donald Trump sold ETH. (Photo; Doc. Coinwestern)

JAKARTA - Former United States President Donald Trump has a sizeable collection of Ethereum, which he obtained from the sale of NFT digital art he made. According to a report from Arkham Intelligence, a company providing crypto intelligence services, Trump has sold most of its Ethereum through the Coinbase exchange in recent weeks.

Arkham Intelligence revealed that Ethereum's sales process began about three weeks ago, after several months Trump raised Ethereum as royalties from various NFT collections he had launched.

One of his most famous NFT collections is "Mugshot Edition", which was inspired by Trump's arrest in August 2022 with his mugshot photos turned into digital images.

According to Arkham Intelligence data, to date Trump has sold a total of 1.075 ETH, which is equivalent to around $2.4 million (IDR 37 billion), assuming that sales were made at an average price of $2.232.56 (IDR 34.5 million) per Ethereum. From this price, it is not yet known how much Trump got from selling this Ethereum, because the price of Ethereum when royalties was paid was not recorded.

From a Coinbase deposit search, it was found that the Ethereum funds were deposited into crypto exchanges of various wallet addresses, which show that Trump manages more than one account for all of its NFT collections. According to Arkham data, the largest deposit to Coinbase is 200 ETH, which is worth about $446,511.63 (Rp6.9 billion) based on previously estimated average value.

The sale of Ethereum has nothing to do with Trump's political campaign, which is preparing to run again as a presidential candidate in 2024. However, this sale comes at the right time, as the price of Ethereum has risen more than 17 percent in the past month, hitting its highest level since May 2022.

Trump himself is known as a crypto skeptic, especially Bitcoin, which he has referred to as a "scam" and a "threat" to the US dollar. On the other hand, he also showed interest in NFT, which is one of the most growing sectors in the crypto industry.

NFT is a digital art that represents unique and rare assets, such as art, music, videos, or collections. Every NFT transaction is recorded in blockchain technology. NFT can be created, purchased, and sold on various platforms, such as OpenSea, Rarible, and SuperRare, using crypto, especially Ethereum.

Selling NFT Since 2021

Trump launched his first NFT collection in November 2021, entitled "Trump Digital Collectible Cards". This collection features Trump's images in superhero costumes and space backgrounds. The collection sold for a matter of hours, and gave Trump 10 percent of every secondary sale.

In April 2022, Trump launched his second NFT collection, entitled "Mugshot Edition". The collection was inspired by Trump's arrest in August 2022, which is linked to a tax and corruption case. Trump was arrested at Trump Tower in New York, and his photo of the mugshot went viral on social media. Trump then turned the photo into an NFT, and offered two advantages for his buyer, namely an official dinner at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, and a cut from Trump's suit when he was arrested.

Trump's NFT collection received varying responses from the public, some consider it a form of creativity and humor, some consider it a form of greed and indifference. However, it is undeniable that Trump's NFT collection has provided a huge advantage for the former president, both in the form of money and popularity.

Even though Trump has sold most of his Ethereum, that doesn't mean he is leaving the crypto world completely. According to Arkham Intelligence, Trump still has about 200 ETH in his wallet, which is worth around $446,511.63 (IDR 6.9 billion) at the moment. In addition, Trump also still has royalties from his NFT collection, which could give him additional income in the future.