Hunter Biden Blows All His Newfound Good Will By Teasing Crypto Scam

Hunter Biden appears to have found a new way to turn his most infamous scandal into a business opportunity: a meme coin based on the laptop that has followed him since the 2020 presidential campaign.

The former first son announced Monday that he will launch $LAPTOP on September 9, teasing the cryptocurrency with a video compilation of media figures, politicians, and Trump administration officials discussing his notorious computer. The token is set to launch on Base, the blockchain network developed by Coinbase.

The announcement comes after weeks of Hunter Biden attempting to rehabilitate his public image through an unlikely media blitz, including podcast appearances and interviews with figures from both the Left and Right. Now, rather than simply discussing the controversies that made him famous, Biden appears ready to monetize them.

The $LAPTOP token will have a supply of one billion coins, with Biden and other founders receiving 30% of the supply. Those tokens will be locked for six months and then vest over two years, according to The Wall Street Journal. Another 20% will be distributed through airdrops, including to cryptocurrency users who lost money on President Donald Trump’s $TRUMP meme coin and to subscribers of Biden’s Substack.

The remaining supply includes allocations for liquidity and operations, charity, and a mechanism that could destroy as much as 30% of the tokens depending on certain events. Among the events tied to the potential token burn are: Bitcoin reaching another all-time high, $LAPTOP surpassing $TRUMP in market value, and a Democrat winning the 2028 presidential election. If the specified conditions are not met, the corresponding tokens would instead be donated to charity, according to the Journal.

Meme coins are generally speculative assets whose value is driven largely by attention, hype, and association with a recognizable person or cultural phenomenon rather than an underlying business or utility. Market analysts have repeatedly warned that they can experience enormous price swings and rapid collapses.

Crypto traders have publicly blasted the project, with some accusing Biden of squandering the credibility he had gained through his recent appearances and commentary. The crypto exchange Kraken also deleted a promotional post for the token following backlash. Journalist Andrew Callaghan said neither he nor his Channel 5 media company —which hosted a controversial interview with Nick Fuentes and Biden— was involved with the project despite a mailing list associated with Callaghan being among the groups eligible for an airdrop.

The backlash is particularly notable because Biden has spent recent months attempting to establish himself as a serious voice on cryptocurrency. He has described decentralized digital currency as the “inevitable future” and has increasingly discussed crypto in his public appearances and writing.

The laptop was abandoned at a Delaware repair shop in 2019, and its contents became a major political controversy during the 2020 presidential campaign. The material included evidence of Biden’s drug addiction and records relating to his foreign business dealings. Now, Biden is turning his signature debacle into a tradable asset.

The move also places him in the increasingly crowded world of celebrity and political meme coins, following similar ventures associated with Trump, first lady Melania Trump, and former New York City Mayor Eric Adams. Trump’s $TRUMP token initially soared before losing most of its value, with the token now trading far below its peak.

For a man who has spent years trying to escape the shadow of the laptop, Hunter Biden has put it right back at the center of his public identity and put a price tag on it.