Forget debates about tax policy. The 2024 presidential election may be determined by who is best able to pump their meme coin into the stratosphere! No, really, are we living in a dystopian novel or a poorly scripted reality television program.

Here's the deal: Donald Trump, a man who could very well be the next President of the United States, is sitting on a potentially massive fortune thanks to the $TRUMP meme coin. We're talking about a projected $93 million boost to his net worth, on top of the $150 million he's already made trading it. And now 90 million additional $TRUMP tokens – worth nearly a billion dollars – are about to be released.

Let's be clear: this isn't about whether you like Trump or not. This is in regards to the totally nuts overlap of speculative finance and politics. It’s not about the appearance of conflicts or blatant conflicts, so obvious they would blind you. Without that, how can we trust anyone to make the big decisions in the country’s best interest? It becomes really difficult when they stand to personally profit from a volatile, risky digital asset that’s literally tied to their own name and image.

Now, zoom out. Think about Southeast Asia. A continent full of the most mobile-first populations, leaping straight into the future using crypto. Now what happens when this trend starts to hit Southeast Asian politics. Might we one day witness politicians releasing their own meme coins to finance a campaign, circumventing conventional fundraising routes? Imagine the chaos! The manipulation! The potential for outright scams!

The idea of decentralized finance is appealing. This feels like a recipe for disaster. This strikes us as a lot like giving keys to the treasury to a group of hyper-online 19th century meme lords.

Let's talk about the elephant in the room: ethics. Is it ethical for a public figure, especially one vying for the highest office in the land, to directly profit from a meme coin? After all, a meme coin has no value other than what the next investor will pay. Its value is dependent only on hype, speculation, and the strength of the internet hive mind.

And what about the potential for manipulation? Justin Sun, a big player in the crypto space, was recently sued by the SEC for fraud and market manipulation. Even though that lawsuit was subsequently dismissed, he has since committed to purchasing $100 million of $TRUMP. But wait, it gets better—he even participated in a VIP reception with Trump himself! That’s not merely a red flag; it’s an entire goddamned red-flag parade!

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So, what can we do? As the crypto space’s roll of political influence continues to grow, we need much more separation, transparency, and regulation between these two worlds. We all want to see the best outcome possible, and we require our elected officials to be held accountable. And we, the American voters, need to be cautious about these speculative meme coin type risks. Remember that if something sounds too good to be true, it is. Remember that new technology brings the potential for manipulation and abuse.

If we don’t act soon, the future of political finance might just be bland digital tokens. Otherwise, it’ll be just hot air and hope. And that's a future nobody should want.

Here's a quick rundown of the potential conflict of interest:

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What’s next?

So, what can we do? We need greater transparency and regulation in the crypto space, especially as it intersects with politics. We need our elected officials to be held accountable. And we, the voters, need to be wary of the risks associated with meme coins. Don't let the promise of quick riches blind you to the potential for manipulation and abuse.

Because if we don't, the future of political finance might just be a bunch of digital tokens backed by nothing but hot air and wishful thinking. And that's a future nobody should want.