Hunter Biden to launch cryptocurrency inspired by his controversial laptop
What's the story
Hunter Biden, the son of former US president Joe Biden, is launching a cryptocurrency inspired by his controversial laptop. The Wall Street Journal reported that the new digital currency will be called $LAPTOP. The announcement was made by Hunter himself on social media platform X, where he posted "$LAPTOP" with a date of September 9, and a video compilation of news outlets and Trump administration officials discussing the computer.
Launch
One billion tokens to be minted
The $LAPTOP cryptocurrency will be launched on Base, a blockchain network developed by Coinbase Global.
The total supply of the coin will be one billion tokens, with Biden and his co-founders receiving nearly a third of the coins.
However, they will have to wait six months before selling any of their allotment, which will become fully available over two years.
Investor compensation
Free coins for investors who lost money on $TRUMP
Notably, some of the $LAPTOP coins will be given for free to investors who lost money on President Donald Trump's digital currency, $TRUMP.
The $TRUMP token has been a disaster for many investors, trading at around $2.27, almost 97% lower than its January 2025 high of $73.43.
An estimated nearly one million retail traders lost around $3.8 billion on the token, according to a July 2026 report by Democratic staff on the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations.
Unique features
Meme coins often have no intrinsic value
The $LAPTOP cryptocurrency has a unique feature where up to 30% of its supply could be permanently destroyed if certain conditions are met.
This practice, known as "burning," reduces the total supply available to investors and could potentially support the price if demand remains strong.
However, this venture comes with considerable risk for buyers as meme coins often have no intrinsic value and can plummet after initial speculative trading.
Public perception
Laptop controversy and Hunter's crypto advocacy
The launch of the $LAPTOP cryptocurrency comes six years after the contents of Biden's laptop became public during the 2020 presidential campaign.
The laptop, which was dropped off at a computer repair shop in Delaware in April 2019, contained emails, documents, and explicit photos.
Despite his controversial past and political connections, Hunter has been an outspoken supporter of cryptocurrencies, calling decentralized digital currencies the "inevitable future."